Ag Chairman Conaway Remarks Regarding Agriculture & Nutrition Act of 2018
The earlier story regarding H.R. 2 has been updated as it has passed out of committee. The statement below is from Chairman Conaway (R) and has the expected language regarding Democrats. You can click to read the full legislative text here, synopsis by section here and the bill highlights here.
WASHINGTON D.C. -The House Agriculture Committee today passed out of committee the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R.2) – critical legislation to address the economic challenges facing the nation’s farmers and ranchers, while making historic investments in opportunities for SNAP recipients. Upon passage, Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) issued the below remarks:
“Today’s vote was about America’s farmers and ranchers. It was about a better future and greater opportunities for SNAP recipients. It was about fulfilling an obligation to lead, rather than standing on the sidelines.
“I’m disappointed that my Democrat colleagues have turned their backs on America’s heartland – that they’ve chosen partisan politics over the three years of bipartisan work in this committee. Democrats halted talks over their objection to requiring work-capable adults to either find employment or receive free training for 20 hours per week. Yet, despite this turn of events, I remain hopeful. When House Democrats pushed a partisan farm bill that raised taxes in 2008 over Republican objections, Republicans worked alongside Democrats to fend off hostile amendments aimed against the legislation on the House floor and worked in conference committee to achieve a bipartisan farm bill. I am hopeful Democrats will not hold the nation’s farmers and ranchers hostage in this process over the SNAP work and training requirements, which will provide SNAP beneficiaries not just a benefit, but a better future that only a job can provide.
“But we’ll continue fighting, we won’t settle for the status quo – because America needs a farm bill. America deserves a farm bill. And I look forward to taking this vote to the people’s House – to debating these policies on the floor and to sharing our vision with the American people. We have cleared this hurdle and will deliver a strong, new farm bill on time.”
Earlier Story - Agriculture is being hit hard by overseas responses to President Trump's tariffs. Things may actually get much worse for local farmers before things improve. The text below is the prepared remarks from Committee on Agriculture Chairman Michael Conaway today while meeting on H.R. 2, the Agriculture & Nutrition Act of 2018.
Committee on Agriculture Business Meeting: H.R. 2 – Agriculture & Nutrition Act of 2018 Remarks as prepared for delivery:
All of you know the economic condition of rural America right now. We have seen a 52-percent drop in net farm income over the past 5 years. Chapter 12 bankruptcies are up 33 percent over the past 2 years alone. And not long ago, two key universities informed us that two-thirds of the representative farms they use to model the economic conditions of agriculture are currently in marginal or poor financial condition.
In my former life, I was a businessman and an accountant, so I came to Congress with the view that we ought to get our work done on time. My view on this has not changed. The current farm bill is set to expire at the end of this year, so we have a duty to act.
The current conditions in rural America make me feel even stronger about our obligation in this regard. I know that the temptation is often to kick the can down the road, to extend current law for short periods in order to avoid tough decisions. But, I believe an extension of the current farm bill is a very bad idea. An extension denies farmers and ranchers the certainty they deserve, it fails to address the problem of programs whose funding expires, and it fails to meet important new needs. We have heard farmers and ranchers tell us how important the Foreign Market Development Program is, but funding for FMD will be zeroed out under an extension.
The same is true of the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program, the Emerging Markets Program, a number of programs for beginning farmers and ranchers, for nutrition programs that incentivize healthy eating, and several organic programs, to name only a few. This farm bill also makes a major new investment in animal disease preparedness and response, including a vaccine bank, a high priority for livestock producers. Funding for these initiatives and many more would not be funded under an extension of current law. So, with necessity being the mother of invention, I am resolved to move forward.
Throughout this farm bill process, I have sought in good faith to work with the Ranking Member in the development of this farm bill. By and large, the bill before the Committee today is a reflection of our work together. I sincerely regret that our discussions ultimately did not bear fruit relative to the nutrition title. On SNAP, we have some honest disagreements that apparently prevent us from coming together on a farm bill. I know we will have a full debate on SNAP, especially on the question of whether able-bodied adults should work or train for work for 20 hours per week. I would have liked to have had these discussions over the past month in order to try and reach some accord, but discussions were halted.
So, I crafted a budget-neutral nutrition title that I believe not only keeps faith with SNAP beneficiaries but goes a step further by offering the hope of a job and a skill and a better future for themselves and their families.
As a member of this committee, I watched with dismay as the bipartisanship of the Agriculture Committee broke down in the House process on the 2008 and 2014 Farm Bills, despite the best efforts of the Chairmen at the time. I wanted in the worst way to break that trend and return us to the bipartisanship which is the hallmark of this committee.
While we are not there today, I am hopeful that we will get there just as we did in 2008 and 2014.
With that, I would like to recognize the distinguished Ranking Member for his opening statement.
