Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today urged House leadership to make passage of the 2012 farm bill a priority prior to the August District Work Period. Last week, the House Agriculture Committee passed their version of the farm bill, H.R. 6083, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARMM) Act, with strong bipartisan support, approving the measure 35-11. With the current farm bill expiring at the end of September, the new measure contains much-needed disaster relief for Montana producers.
“The 2012 farm bill provides a vital safety net for Montana’s farming and ranching families and all the small businesses that depend on our state’s agricultural economy,” said Rehberg a 5th-generation Montana rancher from Billings. “The legislation is not perfect, and I'll keep working to improve it, but Congress needs to address these issues now before the current law expires to prevent unnecessary hardships on the folks in Montana hit by drought conditions.”
In a joint letter to House leadership with other rural colleagues, Rehberg requested the farm bill be rapidly brought to the House floor for final action, reiterating what he has heard from constituents on the bill in some of his 100 public meetings and listening sessions since 2009, namely, that the new farm bill needs to pass in a timely manner to help improve confidence and stability in Montana’s leading industry.
Several Montana farm groups have voiced their support for Rehberg’s request.
“We appreciate Denny pressuring House leadership to get a farm bill moving before the August recess,” said Lola Raska, Executive Vice President of the Montana Grain Growers Association. “Our farmers need to be able to prepare for next year, and we’re glad Denny understands the importance of getting a Farm Bill that works for Montana done on time.”
“We thank Denny for standing up for Montana’s ag producers and fighting to get a Farm Bill passed, giving our ag producers certainty for the year to come,” added Jake Cummins, Executive Vice President of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation. “With droughts across the state, it is especially important that a safety net exists when times get tough.”
Letter:
Dear Speaker Boehner, Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader Cantor, and Minority Whip Hoyer,
Many current farm bill policies expire on September 30, 2012. The House Agriculture Committee passed H.R. 6083, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act, or the 2012 Farm Bill, on July 12th with a strong bipartisan vote of 35-11. While by no means perfect, this farm bill is needed for producers and those who rely on sound agriculture policy and nutrition programs during difficult economic times.
The House Agriculture Committee has done its work and we now ask that you make time on the floor of the House to consider this legislation, so that it can be debated, conferenced, and ultimately passed into law, before the current bill expires. We need to continue to tell the American success story of agriculture and work to ensure we have strong policies in place so that producers can continue to provide an abundant, affordable and safe food supply.
We all share the goal of giving small businesses certainty in these challenging economic times. Agriculture supports nearly 16 million jobs nationwide and over 45 million people are helped each year by the nutrition programs in the farm bill. We have a tremendous opportunity to set the course of farm and nutrition policy for another five years while continuing to maintain and support these jobs nationwide.
The message from our constituents and rural America is clear: we need a farm bill now. We ask that you bring the farm bill up before the August District Work Period so that the House will have the opportunity to work its will. We ask that you make this legislation a priority of the House as it is critically important to rural and urban Americans alike.
We appreciate your consideration of this request and look forward to working with you to advance the FARRM Act.
Sincerely,
