Date: 2013-10-10
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. thank you. and thank you to my colleagues who have joined me here today to talk about an important piece of legislation that seemingly has gone by the wayside. like many. many other important issues. because of the dysfunction of Washington right now: a farm bill. Many here in America dont realize that our current farm bill has expired. But we have an opportunity to pass a food. nutrition. and jobs bill that Congress is supposed to authorize every 5 years. But since it expired on September 30. the good news. though. is that there is still an opportunity to get this 5year farm bill passed. and when we do. we are going to be able to give our farmers and producers the tools they need to do what they do best. We can do this before next planting season. Why do we need a farm bill? To promote and grow our economy. to provide certainty to our farmers and producers. and to give them the tools they need to succeed. For example. crop insurance. Mr. Speaker. crop insurance is working. I even had the opportunity to talk to Secretary Vilsack in one of the hearings on our Ag Committee. and he agreed with me that crop insurance is working. This farm bill strengthens crop insurance. which strengthens our economy. because it strengthens agriculture. Ag is one of the bright spots in our Nations economy right now. Mr. Speaker. That should not be forgotten. which is why it is crucial that we pass this farm bill. We have other policies within that bill that are very crucial to my district and many districts throughout this Nation: conservation. ag research. and trade. As we stand on the floor today. many of the farmers I represent are out in the field. Mr. Speaker. it is harvest time. That is why we are down here today: to let our producers know we have not forgotten and that we are still fighting for that 5year farm bill. Farmers used to just have to worry about the uncertainty of the weather. Now. Mr. Speaker. they have to worry about the uncertainty of Washington. That is unfortunate. but it is something that we can correct when we work together. Mr. Speaker. I came here to govern. I sought a seat on the Ag Committee because I knew we would have an opportunity to leave our mark on this jobs legislation. We want to get this job done so that our farmers can continue to get their job done. I appreciate the many colleagues who have already spoken before me and the rest who are down here today for this farm bill Special Order. as well as many others who have helped move the farm bill forward. And before recognizing my colleagues so that they may share with those watching why we must advance a new farm bill. I want to talk about why the farm bill is important to the district that I represent. In central and southwestern Illinois. agriculture is key to our local economy. It is 14 counties in central and southwestern Illinois that I am proud to serve here in Congress on their behalf. and it is home to some of the most productive and costly farmland in America. It is also home to many in the agribusiness sector: ADM. the University of Illinois. My district is home to the largest gathering of ag producers and agriculturalrelated products in the country. This is the Farm Progress Show that was just completed in Decatur. Illinois. in July. a whopping success. Sloan Implement is in the 13th District of Illinois. GSI. another global leader. one of the largest employers in my district. and it happens to be the largest employer in my home county of Christian County. Kraft Foods in Champaign. Illinois. The National CorntoEthanol Research Center in Edwardsville. at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. also plays a crucial role for jobs. innovation. and energy independence in our area. These are just some of the reasons that Congress needs to keep working together to advance a 5year farm bill. And lets not forget. again. what a bright spot agriculture has been on our Nations economy. Every $1 billion in ag exports supports nearly 8.000 American jobs. Earlier this year. the USDA. they projected $139.5 billion in ag exports. That is more than 1.1 million jobs supported by American agriculture. Mr. Speaker. I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from the great State of Michigan . my good friend and my colleague.