Senate Approves Supplemental Legislation to Fund Wars; Includes Ag Disaster Assistance

News Date April 02, 2007

 The Senate approved legislation providing $123.2 billion primarily for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for improving the health care for returning soldiers and veterans, for continued Hurricane Katrina recovery for the Gulf Coast, to fill major gaps in homeland security, and to provide emergency drought relief for farmers. The legislation passed the Senate last week by a 51 to 48 vote. 

In regards to agriculture disaster assistance, the Senate legislation provides $4.151 billion. This includes $115 million for the Conservation Security Program (CSP). In addition, the Senate cleared a provision, adopted during committee consideration and authored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), to extend the milk income loss contract program for one month, through September 30, 2007. This extension authorizes this program for the same period of time as other farm bill programs. 

During debate on the supplemental legislation, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to retain farm disaster legislation and provide badly-needed aid to farm families devastated by years of weather-related disasters. The Senate voted 74 to 23 to defeat an effort by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to effectively strip farm disaster assistance from the emergency bill. Senator Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) described the vote as a "big, big victory." He said the vote defeating the Coburn amendment sends a "powerful signal that senators understand how important it is that we get emergency assistance to family farmers and ranchers who have suffered disastrous losses." 

Last week, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, the president-elect of NASDA, spoke at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol in support of the disaster assistance. Also participating were U.S. Senators Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Kenneth Salazar-(D-Colo.), and Tom Buis, president of the National Farmers Union. "The state commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture from across the country urge quick passage of disaster assistance for producers who have recorded major damage and losses in 2005 and 2006," Johnson said at the press conference. "This assistance is critically needed to help farmers, ranchers and their communities recoup from financial losses due to hurricanes, drought, fires, tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters occurring in both years." 

The House and Senate will now settle differences in the supplemental legislation through a conference committee. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak)