Washington, May 13, 2008 -

U.S. Congressman John Carter (R-Round Rock, Stephenville) today applauded passage of H.R. 2419, The Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act of 2007, known also as the 2007 Farm Bill.  Carter made the following statement:

“America’s agriculture community is responsible for providing the food and fiber for our country.  Our farmers and ranchers have been waiting far too long for legislation that reforms farm policy, and protects the safety net for all of America’s food and fiber producers.  We must continue to put forth policies that protect American producers and consumers while keeping America’s food and fiber dependency here at home.

“While this bill is not perfect, it is the result of months of bipartisan compromise and is a strong step in the direction of farm policy reform-reform that must not be delayed any further.  Congress must also come together to pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, an agreement critical to the state of our fragile economy.  Over a quarter of our revenues in agriculture come from export markets making trade an important component of Texas agriculture.  American exports face heavy tariffs, which can run as high as 35 percent for our manufactured goods and even higher for our agricultural products, putting our Texas farmers, ranchers, workers and small businesses at a severe disadvantage.  We must pass this agreement in order to alleviate these costs for our producers.

“Central Texas is recognized nationally for its agriculture industry, and as the Congressman that has the privilege of representing such a prosperous area, I will continue fighting for legislation that benefits both our Texas producers and consumers.”