Date: 1987-10-19
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 3492. the Rural Crisis Recovery Program Act of 1987. This bill would amend the Rural Development Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 2662) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants for education and counseling assistance to financially stressed farmers. dislocated farmers. and rural families. This program is an essential part of our efforts to help revitalize. rural America. A grant program established by section 1440 of the Food Security Act of 1985 provided the basis for financial assistance to the States for a variety of counseling and assistance programs. The funds appropriated under this authorization have been used for a variety of purposes. including financial planning and career counseling. job training. and to a limited degree. outreach counseling. H.R. 3492 responds to the immediate need to provide additional assistance to those who are attempting to deal with the personal and family stress that has resulted from the rural economic crisis. Although there are signs that the financial stress in some sectors of the agricultural community may be lessening. many farmers and rural communities continue to suffer. A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report to Congress on the status of family farms indicates that total farm debt in the United States has increased by nearly 30 percent since 1980.. Over onefifth of all U.S. farms have a debt to asset ratio greater than 40 percent. which is indicative of a farm that is "highly leveraged" and financially vulnerable. Among those hardest hit are young farmers who have recently entered agriculture. Over 20 percent of operators under age 35 are suffering financial stress in comparison to about 7 percent of the operators aged 55 or older. Ultimately. the Department predicts that "as many as 15 percent of all farm operators who were in business before 1980 may leave farming for financial reasons before the current financial adjustments end." The repercussions of financial stress on many farm operators are felt by their families. friends. and by the communities In which they live. The stress leads to a variety of personal and social problems. some of which may be life threatening. We hear of cases of depression. anxiety. functional impairment. spouse abuse. child abuse. alcoholism. drug abuse. suicide. and even homocides. The personal tragedies associated with the rural economic crisis are widespread. Many of my colleagues may recall the national headlines when a farmer from Hills. IA shot his banker upon learning that he would be forced to leave farming. In Nebraska the number of divorces in rural* areas has increased 10 percent while -those in urban areas have declined by nearly the same amount. Colorado officials report that the number of children and adolescents admitted to rural mental health centers with depression is nearly double the number of cases at urban centers during the last 6 years. And just last month. six members of one financially pressed rural family in Missouri were slain by a family member. A number of States. local communities. civic and church groups have responded to this crisis by developing their own mental health assistance programs for farmers and rural families. For example. the State of Missouri. with the benefit of section 1440 moneys. established its "rural community service project" to address the mental health problems of those affected by the rural economic crisis. The State of Illinois. largely with State funds. initiated "Stress: Country Style." a program to provide stress counseling and intervention services to rural families. In Iowa. two rural mental health centers have provided outreach. education. and counseling services to increasing numbers of rural residents. The Kansas Legislature established the Farmers Assistance. Counseling. and Training Service [FACTS]. a tollfree hotline to provide information. counseling. and referral services for rural families in need. Similar hotline programs have been initiated in my home State of Texas and other States. In fiscal year 1987. approximately $1.5 million was appropriated to initiate rural assistance programs in eight States under the authority of section 1440 of the 1985 Food Security Act. However. much more needs to be done to ensure that farmers and rural families have the assistance they may need to cope with their immediate financial problems so that they can look ahead to a brighter future. H.R. 3492 will expand the scope of the existing 1440 grant program of the 1985 farm bill to provide a source of immediate support to those who have been impacted by the farm crisis. This program. developed by my colleague Mr. COLEMAN of Missouri. has provided a good start in some States. But more help is needed now. Working with Mr. COLEMAN and with the distinguished chairman of the Agriculture Committees Subcommittee on Conservation. Credit. and Rural Development. Mr. JONES of Tennessee. we have fashioned H.R. 3492 to make needed improvements In the "1440" -program. Specifically. the rural recovery program act of 1987 broadens the list of those who can benefit from the services provided from special grants. Recognizing that the farm crisis Is. in fact. a rural economic crisis. others not directly involved in farming but equally affected - by agricultures financial problems may also avail themselves of educational. outreach counseling. and retraining Services. In addition to financial counseling. vocational training. and jobseeking services. H.R. 3492 would provide. to the extent practicable. onthejob training and financial support for educational expenses such as tuition and books to those who wish to learn -a new skill or go back to school to launch a new career. Finally. and perhaps most importantly. H.R. 3492 would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide clinical outreach programs in crisis management assistance such as 24hour hotlines and local counseling services to farmers. their families. and their rural neighbors. This service is critical to ensure that those in distress are able to obtain the professional support and counseling that they need to pick themselves up and move on. This portion of H.R. 3492 was developed with the help of rural sociologists and other professionals familiar with the mental health problems facing rural families. The assistance of the "rural family issues coalition" in developing this element of the legislation deserves special recognition. I view this bill as one small. but critical element in revitalizing rural America. The career and financial counseling and job training programs authorized by section 1440 of the Food Security Act have been extremely successful and remain essential to help financiallystressed and dislocated farmers and rural families. These programs warrant renewal and refinement in accordance with H.R. 3492. Their continuation through 1990 as provided by H.R. 3492 is essential. I remain optimistic that the Food Security Act will work to restore the strength of American agriculture. There are already signs that this is occurring. Nevertheless. we still have severe economic problems in some segments of agriculture. and without the assistance that would be provided by the Rural Crisis Recovery Program Act of 1987. I fear that many rural residents will be unable to see beyond their Immediate financial problems to avail themselves of the career counseling. financial assistance. and other sources of support that are intended to help get them back on their feet. I urge immediate passage of H.R. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.