Legislative Leaders Address Farm Bill, Iraq At Fair

Sen. Kit Bond says he hopes to see the legislature keep a safety net for farmers in disaster relief. Bond says he wants to be able to avoid a situation similar to last winter in Missouri  where the state had to sustain crop loss before getting  help for agricultural loss.  The senator says the country needs a provision in the Farm Bill that will make it easier for farmers to get disaster assistance. Bond says the legislature is currently working on the 5-year old Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA Act. Bond says the 2002 resources development act passed both sides of the legislature overwhelmingly, but he says President Bush plans to veto the act. Bond says he will help lead the effort to override a veto. He says the nation must have a safe and efficient means of transportation for crops or  the country will not be able to meet its opportunity, nor its obligations.

Representative Sam Graves demonstrated his support of the Farm Bill. Graves says the biggest hurdle is getting the bill passed without the legislature turning it into a partisan issue. The representative says farm policy should be a bipartisan issue.  He adds that the public needs to realize how often it relies on agriculture, which he says is at least 3 times a day at every meal. Graves says, without organizations like the Farm Bureau, passing the Farm Bill would be even more difficult.

Congressman Ike Skelton applauded his legislative colleagues for their work with the Farm Bill, then moved on to what he says is a pertinent issue: the war in Iraq and the escalation of violence from Al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents. Skelton warns that he anticipates a surge in violence just before and during the expected date for the release of General Petraeus' report on Iraq. He says the violence will be stemmed by an approach similar to the Tet Offensive of Vietnam in 1968. Skelton says he hopes the surge in violence won't bend support or create biases in light of the expected September 15th report.

Representative Kenny Hulshof concluded by tying in Skelton's warnings of violence in Iraq to the importance of becoming less dependent on foreign energy.  Hulshof says fortunately, the U.S. does not have to rely on foreign countries for its food resources like it does for its energy resources. Hulshof explained the controversial subject of subsidies for farmers, saying farmers aren't being handed a big piece of the pie.  Hulshof says 66 cents out of every dollar received goes back to the people in the form of scholarships and other funding.  He says just 10 cents out of every dollar goes to farm subsidies.  Hulshof urges constituents to allow the domestically-produced, renewable energy industry to grow.