Tour of Drought-Impacted Farm Shows Importance of Farm Bill Passage
By: U.S. Representative Bruce Braley
Last Friday, I met with two farmers from Palo, Gary and Vicki Owens, to see their farm and discuss the drought conditions that are affecting crops across Iowa. I saw the dry ground and struggling corn and soybeans that the Owens are hoping will survive in the heat and dry weather. Gary and Vicki told me how concerned they are that sporadic rain during the month of July will doom their crops, but they continue to hope that wetter and cooler weather will grace their crops sooner rather than later. They are preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.
The lack of rain along with the blistering heat are making farmers take a look at their insurance policies and what the federal government is doing to assist them if the weather causes a massive loss in crops.
Today, just as we saw in the 1920s, the federal government needs to take responsibility when farmers suffer from events outside of their control. That's the reason why, last week, I joined Iowa's entire House delegation, Republicans and Democrats, to demand that Congressional leaders hold an immediate vote on the bipartisan Farm Bill. Some disaster relief programs from the 2008 Farm Bill have already expired, and if Congress does not pass the farm bill by September, laws will revert back to the outdated 1949 Farm Bill. We can't afford to go back to laws that are that outdated - let alone when we are suffering from such a difficult summer.
I will continue to work with the US Department of Agriculture to get farmers the help they need, and keep working to bring members of both parties together to ensure that the Farm Bill is passed as quickly as possible. Iowa farmers and their families need some degree of certainty during such uncertain times. The Farm Bill ensures a safety net and allows farmers a degree of financial security for the future.
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