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Issues: Drought“We need to ensure that American farmers and ranchers are fixtures in the countryside, not an exhibit at the Smithsonian.”
Since 2002, Nelson has worked in the Senate to pass a comprehensive disaster relief package for farmers and ranchers. Each time, Nelson insisted that the assistance be provided as “emergency” assistance just like the assistance for those impacted by hurricanes and other natural disasters. Due in part to his efforts, Congress provided $3 billion in emergency agricultural disaster relief in 2007 and the Senate included a standing disaster assistance program in the 2007 Farm Bill. In total, his efforts have lead to the distribution of more than $9 billion in drought disaster assistance for America’s farmers and ranchers. Senator Nelson is also working to improve America’s ability to predict, and prepare for, future droughts. In the 109 th Congress, he introduced S. 2751, the National Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006, which establishes a national center to study and predict droughts within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The center would also be directed to coordinate existing research on droughts with institutions such as the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Finally, Senator Nelson worked to include a provision in the 2007 Farm Bill that will require to the Department of Agriculture to contract with the National Drought Mitigation Center to assist with drought mitigation efforts. Updated: 1.23.08
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Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson has made comprehensive drought relief a centerpiece of his work on the Senate Agriculture Committee. He believes that "a natural disaster is a natural disaster" regardless of whether it is a drought, hurricane, blizzard or tornado. Borrowing a page from the hurricane tracking system, he named the current drought “David” to raise awareness of its devastating economic impact on rural America.
