Date: 1988-09-26
Speaker: DF LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise In support of H.R. 5325. the Federal Crop Insurance Commission Act of 1988. This bill will establish a Federal commission to review the Federal Crop Insurance Program and recommend improvements in the program. As was envisioned when the Federal crop Insurance Program was overhauled in 1980. thousands of farmers across the country rely on crop insurance as their first line of defense against natural disasters. However. the participation in the program is not as great as many had hoped when the program was established. The drought that struck many parts of the United States this summer highlighted the need to redouble our efforts to inprove the Crop Insurance Program and to increase participation in the program. This legislation. if enacted. will provide the Congress with valuable input from farmers. insurance agents. program administrators. and others affected by the operation of the Federal Crop Insurance Program. as to how the program can be improved. With the combined wisdom of these industry experts and the Congress. the appropriate adjustments and improvements in the program may help to eliminate the need for ad hoc disaster payment programs like the one approved by the Congress earlier this year. Mr. Speaker. Joining with the distinguished subcommittee chairman Mr. JONES it is my hope that this legislation will help the Congress to fine tune this program to better provide protection against disasters for farmers and ranchers. I would ask the Members to support the passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I wish to add that I Join with my distinguished colleague. the ranking minority member. the gentleman from Illinois . in expressing my appreciation. and that of all of the members of our committee. to our distinguished colleague. the gentleman from Tennessee . the chairman of the subcommittee. who has rendered such invaluable service to our Nation. in Tennessee. and then here in the national Congress. on behalf of agriculture. As the gentleman from Illinois mentioned. this may well be the last bill from our committee in which the gentleman from Tennessee actively participates. and he has been a yeoman. He has been a centurlan in the ranks working quietly without much publicity and/or notice. but. as usual. he leaves his imprint on the lives of the people of rural America and all of the citizens of this great country of ours. and even beyond our boundaries. That the gentleman from Tennessee came our way has turned out to be for the benefit of not only Pll of the people in rural America. but all Americans. and I would hope that as my colleagues approve this legislation. even though it is but a commission that will study the crop insurance program. eventually it will be a guidepost for us in future legislative endeavors. The importance of this legislation is that in the drought legislation which was so overwhelmingly approved by tills Congress and signed by the President. we provide that. for those to whom assistance is rendered. they must then join the crop insurance program. This legislation will assure that we will not be in a similar situation In the future. and that will be a very positive step in our endeavor to work within the constraints of the budget. in providing another tool to the agricultural sector. and to the benefit of all of rural America. I hope that my colleagues. in tribute to the gentleman from Tennessee . who is the lead author of this legislation. will give this legislation an overwhelming vote of approval. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.