Search Continues for Senator Lincoln's Disaster Assistance Funds
News Date August 25, 2010
There is still much debate surrounding Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D-AR) request for $1.5 billion in disaster relief assistance for farmers across the U.S., including her home state of Arkansas. Opponents say that the funds simply do not exist to provide the assistance ad hoc. They say that the matter of disaster assistance was addressed in the 2008 Farm Bill with the establishment of the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE), which requires a farmer to purchase crop insurance to be eligible to receive disaster relief payments. Southern farmers, most of whom did not purchase crop insurance - particularly rice and cotton farmers - say the high premiums outweigh the benefits received.
The White House is being accused of providing the funding in order to boost Sen. Lincoln's reelection prospects in Arkansas, where she faces a stiff challenge. The Office of Management of the Budget indicates the administration is still looking for the money and the Senate Agriculture Committee says they are "hopeful to announce the funds before the end of the month." (Contact: Brad McKinney)