this afternoon president trump speaks about immigration and border security. we will have live coverage beginning at 2:30 eastern on c-span, also on c-span.org or listen on the free c-span radio app. >> president trump's pick to lead the veterans' affairs department robert wilke will testify on wednesday. live coverage begins at 230 poik p.m. on c-span 3. you can also with the free c-span radio app. earlier this month the senate agriculture committee met to consider amendments to the 2018 farm bill and reauthorize farm and nutrition programs for the next five years. it would extend the supplemental nutrition assistance program known as snap or food stamps and renew safety net programs for farmers. it also includes language to legalize industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity.

seeing a quorum i call this meeting to order. i am now going to recognize the senator grassley in that he has a prior commitment for his three minutes of commentary. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i have a fairly reserved statement. don't assume i don't have some strong views on some things that might come up today. i thank chairman roberts, ranking member stabenow in commanding you all for getting to this point, putting together a bill of this size and complexity is no small task. this legislation will impact

every citizen in nearly every acre of land in america. there are several pieces of this legislation that i like very much and support, the market access in foreign market development programs being funded. these programs are very important in that they promote our products abroad and leverage private dollars. i think there are some very sensible and much needed reforms to the conservation reserve program that should help refocus it better to its original intent. in iowa we had some landowners getting over $300 an acre to put their farms into the crp. that was making it hard for young and beginning farmers to compete for land against the government. even well-established farmers had land taken away from them because it was enrolled in crp at these lucrative rates. they were especially incensed about being outbid for land by

government knowing our tax national debt is $20 trillion. so i commend also my colleague from iowa, senator ernst, for her leadership in this area and i'd like to hear from other members about the adequacy of the program from these stand points, whether we have enough incentive that the most fragile land go in before high yielding yield go in so we get more bang for the taxpayers dollars and that whole farms shouldn't be given consideration over other land. on crop insurance, i'm happy to see that we maintain a very strong program. the changes that clarify in the crop insurance program for covered crop termination shall not take effect -- shall not affect the sureability of

subsequent crops are a very welcome inclusion. in iowa covered crops are becoming very popular, they help reduce runoff that hurts the environment. the commodity title of this program is similar to the last farm bill. there are certainly improvements that can be made as a few crops have price triggers that are extremely high. when price triggers have a ten-year average to determine the price of that crop it's hard to explain how that is a safety net and not simply a guaranteed payment, turning out to be a ridiculous policy. i'm happy an amendment that i offered that encourages partnership to help water and wastewater utilities find innovative and low cost solutions to meet the clean water act targets more effectively was included in the

manager's amendment instead of these utilities building expensive water treatment plants that can be -- they can be given credit for programs at lower cost is something that we ought to be concentrating on. i'm also disappointed the base bill does not include common sense reforms that i offered on program eligibility. while an old bill is perfect we hope to move things in the right direction every time we take up a piece of legislation like this. i will also say that i'm dismayed that we do not have a cbo score. things are harder -- hard for farmers out in the countryside right now and passing a farm bill will provide certainty to our farmers as chairman roberts has reminded me several times over the last week. thank you. >> thank you, senator. i'm going to point out again

that i'm going to tap this gavel if we exceed three minutes. we simply have to get this bill done -- about four minutes and 15 seconds but that's about your batting average. >> i want to welcome my colleagues today and today's business meeting where we will consider the agriculture improvement act of 2018, the farm bill. the goal, the responsibility, the absolute requirement for this committee is to provide farmers, ranchers, growers and everyone within the agriculture and food value chain certainty and predictability, especially during these very difficult times. this is absolutely paramount to any other concern. i respect the long held

partnerships this committee has had with farm and commodity organizations, with all of the folks who have banded together to fight for better nutrition and to abolish hunger, with the research and the conservation advocates. i could, we could, go down all 12 titles of the farm bill and the many others who provide us with sorely needed advice and counsel. still our single overriding responsibility is to the men and women and farm families in america who today are in difficult and too many in desperate times. it is not an exaggeration to say that our nation's food and fiber production capability hang in the balance with what we do here today. so let us begin and let us get this done. many of you have introduced legislation over the last year that addresses your priorities and those of stakeholders in your states. the ranking member and i have tried to address as many of those priorities as possible in

the draft and we have included 66 amendments as part of a managers amendment for the committee to consider. we are engaged in this important effort together. we are continuing to craft a farm bill that meets the needs of producers all across our country, all regions, all crops, all of agriculture is struggling, not just one or two commodities. we must have a bill that works across our entire country. and we must ensure that our voluntary conservation programs are keeping farmland in operation while protecting our agricultural lands for us and other natural resources. we must focus on program integrity and common sense investments to strengthen our nutrition programs to ensure the long-term success of those in need of assistance and -- and

with trade policy uncertainty we must provide certainty for our trade promotion and research programs. feeding an increasing global population is not simply an agriculture challenge, it is a national security challenge. show me a country that cannot feed itself and i will show you a notion in chaos and goodness knows we have enough chaos in the world today. this means we need to grow more and raise more with fewer resources. that will take investments in research, new technology, lines of credit and proper risk management. it takes the government providing the tools and then getting out of the producers' way. we must take tough choices and be judicious with the scarce resources we have. we have asked enough questions, reexamined programs to determine their effectiveness. we must ensure programs accomplish their fundamental purposes. agriculture and specifically the

farm bill has consistently answered to the call to do more with less every time. to those who say passing a farm bill in this environment is a daunting task i say together that we get this done. optimism and ingenuity. a farmer just doesn't plant the seed in the ground without the faith and optimism of harvesting a good crop and together we can -- we must pass a bill that provides these same men and women the much needed certainty and predictability they so deserve. i turn to my colleague, my partner in this process, senator stabenow, for her opening remarks. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. first of all, i want to say as always it is a great pressure to work with you as partners in this committee. i also want to say thank you to our staffs who may not have had a lot of sleep recently, but

have worked as partners and really skilled professionals both of our teams i think to produce a product for us and we greatly appreciate their hard work. from the start of this process, mr. chairman, you and i made a commitment to deliver a bipartisan farm bill that would work for our farmers, our families and our rural communities. i'm pleased we have stayed true to our word and reached an agreement that will support our diverse agricultural economy and the 16 million jobs it supports. this bill represents important improvements for michigan, for kansas, for the states represented on this important committee and for every part of the farm bill coalition in every region of the country. over the past year and a half we've put our political differences aside and focused on listening to people who have a stake in the farm bill. from farmers and rural leaders to conservationists and food

advocates, we heard loud and clear that they need the certainty of a five-year farm bill. america's farmers and ranchers especially need a reliable safety net to protect them from the risks they face every day as the chairman spoke about. when a year's worth of work can be erased by a single day of bad weather or a sudden turn in the market, farmers rely on strong risk management tools. making improvements for our dairy farmers was one of my top priorities as for many members on my side and certainly i know this has been a passion for senator gillibrand and certainly senator leahy. i appreciate all of our working together on this. in addition to the $1.1 billion we secured in the bipartisan budget act and, again, i have to say thank you to senator leahy for his incredible leadership, we replaced the margin protection program with dairy risk coverage and invested in additional $100 million to

improve affordability and flexibility. while it's true we face a tight budget, we were still able to work together to protect some of the most important parts of the farm bill and continue to expand the coalition engaged in our food and farm system. new support for veterans in addition to permanent investments for beginning farmers and associate disadvantaged producers helps build the bench for the next generation of farmers to come. permanent funding for international trade and investments in farmers markets and local food systems help producers sell their products both at home and abroad. incentives for healthy food mean for nutritious food for families and higher sales for local farmers. investments in cutting edge agricultural research help our producers be more productive and more profitable. and we made these critical

investments without cutting key programs like conservation. this bill has no overall cuts to the conservation title which helps our farmers be more productive and protects our land and water for outdoor recreation. by focusing on innovative public/private partnerships we will sbroe funding for leveraging an additional $1 billion to support locally led conservation. i want to thank senator ernst for partnering with me on improvements in the regional conservation partnership program. new titles to dry conservation and restoration on our national forests are also included. just as the farm bill supports farmers and landowners, it also supports families and communities. we work to find common ground to improve the integrity of nutrition assistance and help families define good paying stable jobs while preserving critical food access for millions of families in need.

additionally we made historic investments to support tribal communities. we also protected and expanded initiatives that create rural jobs and ensure families can enjoy a high quality of life no matter where they live. one of the things sorely needed and i know we all agree this is needed in rural communities is reliable high speed internet. in my home state alone there are nearly 1 million people in rural michigan who lack access. our bill includes new opportunities that will connect rural households, schools and businesses that need it most. we strengthen job opportunities by continuing strong investments in bio-based manufacturing, clean energy installation in rural small businesses and we found ways to improve the health of rural families. new prioritized support for water infrastructure will address harmful contaminants in drinking water. additionally expanded resources will provide addiction treatment

to combat the opioid epidemic that has devastated far too many small towns and families across the country. on every title, on every page, you can see that this truly is a farm bill that meets critical priorities across our country. again, i want to thank all the members of the committee. we could go around this table and each member has important provisions in this bill and has made important contribution gs and we thank everyone for that. you've brought valuable ideas to the table and worked hard to make sure we can get here today. again, i want to thank senator roberts for all of the long hours and hard work we have done together to write a farm bill that makes sense for our farmers, ranchers, rural communities and families. mr. chairman, now let's pass a farm bill. >> i thank the senator. i want to associate myself with her remarks with regards to staff, you're only as good as

your staff, and we have the best. and that goes for everybody here, the committee members and their staff. having been a staffer for 14 years i have a special feeling about that. but this was a daunting task and they spent a lot of -- a lot of hours way into the evening, early this morning still trying to put this together. senator bozeman. >> thank you, mr. chairman. right off the bat i want to thank you and the ranking member for their hard work over the last several months. as you mentioned, you know, you all are great and work hard but your staffs are excellent. so we really do appreciate that. and, again, for crafting a truly bipartisan piece of legislation, especially during a time when budgets are tight and tough choices must be made. as we are all aware, the farm economy is a much different place than the last time we were around this table debating a farm bill. net farm income is approximately

half of what it was then, farm bankruptcies are up 39% over the past two years, financing is becoming more expensive, input costs are rising and the trade outlet look is volatile and uncertain. farmers across the country ard regardless of which state at the reside in and which crops at the grow are hurting. now is not the time to be cutting the farm safety net program. as members of this committee we must provide a timely farm bill to provide certainty to the folks who feed and clothe the nation and the world. for which we can be very proud. i was particularly pleased to see that the chairman and ranking member maintain strong safety nets. this bill provides programs directed toward our military members and veterans who help them become involved in agriculture. i was also pleased to see my amendments were included in the manager's package. i want to acknowledge that the regional conservation partnership program is an excellent tool for bringing

partnerships and additional nonfederal funding to the conservation effort. my home state especially the rice producers have benefited from the rice stewardship partnership efforts of ducks unlimited, u.s.a. rice, arkansas rice, nrs, nrcs through rcpp. it is being significant and meaningful to our working lands agricultural proceed dufrs, however, i have concerns regarding regarding the changes that will allow 30% of the funding to be allocated as grants for these organizations. the vision has always been the best of government and the best of partnerships working for the producers and the natural resources. the program has delivered in this regard but i fear we are opening the door to conservation dollars being diverted to supporting certain organization members rather than continuing to leverage private funding to the benefit of many producers in a given region. my constituents at home have also reached out with concerns

regarding the changes to the food aid provisions. farmers are the biggest champions and largest constituency for these programs. i'm afraid we could harm the long-term viability of them by turning portions into cash based rather than commodity based assistance and by doing so al n alienating the ones who support the mission of these programs the most. as the chairman has reiterated through this process we must provide our farmers and ranchers with certainty and predictability, we must ensure that this bill predicts producers of all regions and commodities that we do not attack or cut down one commodity or region to prop up another. i look forward to getting this thing passed and thanks again to you all and your staffs. >> i thank you, senator. senator leahy. >> good day, mr. chairman. thank you, senator stabenow. you worked together in a bipartisan way to draft this 2018 farm bill. it's actually an example of what the senate can achieve when we

cast aside ranker and rhetoric and focus on the real challenges we face. and this committee has a long and well-deserved reputation for that. mr. chairman, i think of your predecessor dear friend of both of us bob dole when he was here. i err remember him working closely with hubert humphrey. you have two people who are poles apart philosophically and they would work together and come up with good agriculture legislation. enjoyed it. and you have done the same and senator stabenow have. i know in our state, vermont farmers and families rely on the support and guidance in the farm bill so that our farms both large and small are productive, their children are nourished, their air, land and water protected, and this bill makes important improvements in all of these. rural communities across vermont and every corner of america

represented in every single state here will directly benefit from this bill. it's where we set our priorities, just like our spending bills. farmers everywhere are facing increasingly difficult times. vermont is no exception. dairy farm backbone of many of our communities have faced significant challenges in recent years has a very hard time -- i see people who are working 365 days a year, enormous hours, very difficult work and i see the deaths and the despair in many of these people who have been generations of the backbone of our communities, truly the best of vermont. so this bill is another opportunity to provide the support and security dairy farmers deserve with higher levels of risk coverage under the improved dairy risk coverage

program. also helps to provide nutritional support for our citizens as well as reduce hunger worldwide. continuing programs like mcgovern/dole and i like what is done in the organic industry. when i first wrote that bill when i was chairman of this committee none of us would have imagined it would have turned into a $50 billion industry. so it's a good bill. it's a bipartisan bill. i will put my whole statement in the record, but, mr. chairman, two committees i so enjoy serving on, this one and appropriations because republicans and democrats work together in the way the senate should and has in the past and can work. so i thank you. >> i thank the senator from vermont. senator thune. >> thank you, mr. chairman.

and ranking member stabenow, thanks to you and your staff members. it's already been mentioned for the past weeks and months of hard work to draft the bipartisan bill that we're marking up today. unlike the past three bills that i've been involved with in farm bills as a member of the ag committee in congress today we're writing a farm bill during an extended economic downturn and the ag community's future is clouded by the uncertain economic conditions that we're facing today. mr. chairman, over the past 14 months i've introduced 11 marker bills, some with members on the other side of the aisle that i believe offer sound policy, some to improve management flexibility for use of land enrolled in crp and other conservation easements. along with senators brown and grassley we offered a bill that would more equitably distribute commodity program payments across all regions of the united states and across all

commodities by adjusting some reference prices that exceed 100% of the ten-year market price average for those crops. more than 77% of all base acres in the united states are enrolled in arc, which not only provides price protection but also provides production loss protecti protection, however, arc did not receive the changes needed to make this program an effective safety net in the next farm bill. our arc bill also offered savings to taxpayers by directing assistance to producers with bases on land that is actually being cropped. under current policy there are thousands of acres of land with bases that have not been farmed for years. yet this land is still receiving commodity title payments. i would argue that that is not good policy. i spent the last two days after the release of the chairman's mark in an effort to effectively modify arc, however, we simply ran out of time to make the necessary adjustments and get them scored by the cbo. creating good policy and savings

in government programs is often painful and unpopular, which is why many much needed changes are not made and i feel we could have made some unpopular decisions regarding this bill that would have resulted in better policy, but there are those who chose to put those changes off for another day. the conservation title is critically important to my home state of south dakota and several of my proposals that would improve the management of crp and other easement programs have been included in the chairman's mark in management package which i appreciate. we will vote on a crp amendment that will increase the acreage cap and greatly improve grazing capability. mr. chairman, we have all have additional policy changes we'd like to have included in this bill, but in the end we have a bill that will help address the challenges of today's agricultural economy and i look forward to its consideration. thank you. >> senator gillibrand. >> thank you, mr. chairman.

i did not prepare an opening statement but i will briefly summarize the amendments that i hope we get to talk about today. one is to help dairy farmers, senator klobuchar worked hard on a bill because in new york state today our dairy farmers are not only living on poverty wages at this point, but many of them are going out of business and they're committing suicide. helping the dairy farmers at this time in our nation's history is one of my highest priorities in this farm bill and i want to thank the chair manned and ranking members for helping me work on that amendment because giving relief to them now is crucial. when a dairy farm goes out of business, the land gets sold, it's developed, it's gone forever. we've talked about production of food in this committee as a national security priority. that, in fact, if you relegate production of certain foods to just one part of the state, one part of the country, any problem whether it's a drought in california, whether it's nuclear fallout coming across from japan, it literally changes whether we can produce wholesome food in that part of the country. so that's why we want to make sure dairy stays in places like california and minnesota and

wisconsin and new york and vermont. so thank you, amy, for working so hard on that bill and helping us with that. another amendment that i want to pull up is about pollinators. we really, you know, normally on the agriculture committee we side with our producers and if they like a certain chemical that they use in production for weed killing or bug killing, we generally side with our producers, but there are a class of chemicals that are killing bees and you can't produce fruits and vegetables in this country if you don't have bees to pollinate. this is an amendment i don't think we will get to vote on today but we might be able to call it up on the floor. i just want to highlight it for you to inform yourselves that just listening to producers and not knowing the science behind what could actually change whether we can produce crops in this country is really important to me. the snap provisions also are super important for new york state. we have a lot of families who are struggling to just feed their kids and one of my amendments is to make it possible that if you are a full

time caregiver, if you have a special needs child at home, if you have an elderly parent that you are caring for full-time that you can still have access to food stamps because the requirement now is you have to be working, but if you are a full time caregiver you are working you just might not be compensated. so i want to talk about that in this committee long-term. and then last, a rural jobs and investment bill. this is a bill that the chairman and the ranking member have been working with me, it is supported by all of the advocacy groups that care deeply about agriculture in this country. it is a make sense bill that i think we can perhaps include it in a future manager's amendment. so if i'm not here to talk about it my goal would be to offer and withdraw so we can work on it because there is no opposition to that bill. it's a common sense bill to help create jobs in rural america. thank you so much. >> we thank you, senator. senator hyde-smith. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i also would like to thank you and our ranking member for working so hard and being so open to everyone on this

committee and certainly the staff that has put so many hours into this. i commend you for putting together a strong bipartisan bill that reflects the input and priorities of all the members on the of all the members on the committee. and more importantly a bill which seeks to meet the specific needs of all the farmers, ranchers and producers in all the regions of our country. the fact you were able to accomplish that in a bill that is estimated to actually save $60 million over the next ten years is very impressive. i'm grateful for your commitment to our responsibility of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. the broad array of programs and policies authorized by the farm bill will affect the overall quality of life for families such as line across the united states and many mississippians. agriculture is the number one industry in our state, employing nearly 30% of the work force, directly or indirectly. i'm confident that mississippi's 36,000 farms, 11 million acres of farmland and 20 million acres

of forestland will be well served by the legislation from this committee today. the authorizing of the price-loss coverage program in the commodity title will ensure producers have adequate protection when market prices are low and maintaining the current level support structure will help our larger producers remain in business when times get very, very tough. the working lands program will allow farmers to continue to producing on the highly productive lands while minimizing the environmental footprint, and the easement programs will allow landowners to set aside less productive land for wildlife habitat and water quality improvements. with respect to the nutrition title, i'm encouraged that annual spending over the life of the bill is estimated to be roughly $12 billion below the 2014 farm bill levels. i'm also pleased that this farm

bill seeks improvements to the supplemental nutrition assistance program, the snap program, to increase program integrity and focuses on working requirements for snap beneficiaries. as we move forward, i hope the committee will seek to further reform and improve the nutrition title to ensure our food assistance program, provide help for those in need, but also provide a path toward employment and self-sustainability. in closing, mr. chairman, i would like to thank you and members of your staff for including my amendments in the manager's package of amendments. i look forward to continue working with you on this farm bill process. >> we thank you, senator. senator brown. >> thank you, mr. chairman and thank you for the extraordinary work you did and that senator staveno did. thank you both for that. i want to thank the staff on both sides, especially the committee staff and the work that you did and john mccracken in my office. the work was outstanding.

i appreciate, as senator hyde-smith just said, i don't think everyone got everything we wanted but we're taking positive steps toward improving our conservation programs, investing in local foods and specially crops maintaining a strong safety net, reducing hunger in our country. everyone in this country, the whole senate even, has heard me talk about the importance of the great lakes and the fragility of lake erie. it is the most productive. it drains some of the most productive farmland in america. it drains farms in ohio, michigan, indiana, pennsylvania and new york. it roundtables across ohio. i hear from farmers about their desire for conservation programs that would help them reduce run off and promote soil health and were easier to use. so maintaining this committee's commitment to conservation spending and reforming existing programs to better target where spending goes and how it is used

all are essential to meeting our natural resource challenges and making sure taxpayers are getting a return on their investments. whether it's promoting cover crops, prioritizing source water protection and csp or prioritizing water quality and csp acres, this bill gets up a step closer to achieve those goals. i want to thank especially senators ernst and grasslee and donnelly for their work on these provisions. i also want to note for the first time we provided baseline funding for usda programs that promote local food production and help small growers increase their productivity into the future. senator collins and i worked on this bill, the new local assistance market program and we'll help strengthen this local food sector. i appreciate senator stabbenoff's work on this bill. the food and security nutrition incentive program was increased in this bill because it has

proved so successful, including in ohio since it's creation in the 2014 farm bill. with this provision snap recipients will be able to increase their purchasing power when they buy fresh fruits and vegetables. the program has been good for families, it's been especially good for local farmer who is now have new customers. i expect another pilot project included in this bill, the harvesting health program, will soon be a nationwide model for reducing hospital and doctor visits as that at-risk patients have great er access to healthir foods and diets. some provisions of the coverage improvement and innovation act i included are included in this bill. there is more the senate should do to improve title one programs to ensure they're a good deal for american tax pears.

and i especially thank senators thume and grassley for their work on this. there are dozens of other provisions of this bill that are good for ohio farmers in small towns, ensuring the integrity of organic crops, helping small dairies, investing in waste water programs, fighting the opioid epidemic. it is a bill good for farmers, good for families, good for taxpayers. good for jobs, good for lake erie. i'm committed to working with my colleagues. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator. senator fisher. >> thank you, chairman roberts and ranking member for your work on the bipartisan package before us. i recognize this was not an easy task and i commend your efforts and the hard work by your staff. agriculture is the backbone of nebraska's economy and a big part of my own life. in fact, one of every four jobs

in nebraska is directly tied to agriculture. that's why i'm thankful to represent nebraska in this committee as we draft this legislation. as each of us around this table is fully aware, there is a lot of anxiety in farm country. with current net farm income down by over 50% compared to five years ago and uncertainty surrounding international trade and biofuel policy, farmers and ranchers are feeling scared and vulnerable. they are looking to us, to this committee, to provide the certainty and predictability they need to support their families and to feed the world. since my first day in congress, i have worked with my colleagues to promote common sense policies that enable our ag producers to prosper. this farm bill process gives us the opportunity to accomplish this mission. traveling around my home state, nebraskans told me they are looking for a strong farm safety net that upholds the integrity

of the crop insurance program. this important program works in my state, and i appreciate that the bill before us continues it. i also appreciate the committee for recognizing the important of our trade promotion programs. our farmers and our ranchers have proven they can and will aggressively pursue global markets, consolidating the four primary programs under title 3 will eliminate thinging e anx expires baselines, providing producers with more leverage as they look to expand into new markets. it is also imperative that we give our farmers and ranchers the tools and technology that enable them to maintain their competitive advantage. this package builds off of congress's existing commitment to expand broad band deployment to the most underserved and rural areas by prioritizing projects that provide broadband to the most rural areas, we can

boost connectivity, assisting in bringing the next generation back to the farm and enhancing our agricultural productivity. mr. chairman and ranking member, i commend the committee for crafting a bipartisan farm bill that looks to provide our farmers and ranchers with the tools and certainty they need to feed our nation and to feed the world. it is important to me that we remember these hard working men and woman. i look forward to working with my colleagues to improve the bill today and as it moves forward in the legislative process. thank you. >> i thank the senator. senator smith. >> thank you very much, chairman roberts and ranking member stabenow for all of your work on this incredibly good bipartisan farm bill before us today. i also want to add my thanks to

everybody's staffs for lots of time to make this all come together. when i first came to the senate just a few months ago, i asked to sit on this committee, and i immediately put together a farm bill working group in my home state of minnesota, so i could hear from farmers and ranchers and nutrition e perts and rural leaders on what aught to be included in this farm bill. and that working group has provided a lot of great guidance to me and my staff all the way through this process, so i want to thank those minnesotans for their help. as several of you have noted, this farm bill touches the lives of every american and certainly every minnesotan. and it is so important to our state's economy. this bill will provide important stability and predictability to minnesota farmers and ranchers and rural communities while also sustaining thens of thousands of minnesota jobs. i'm very thankful that this bill includes many of the proposals that i have been working to get included in this bill for

minnesotans. that includes maintaining the sugar program for minnesotans and sugar growers and also improving the dairy safety net. i know my colleagues worked very hard on this. the bill also includes, establishes a new national animal disease preparedness response and recovery program. we know for minnesota living through the avian flu how important this is, and i want to thank senator klobechar for her work on this. the bill makes important improvements to conservation programs to make sure our farmers have the opportunity to start conservation efforts and to keep those going into the future and i'm very happy that the bill provides also help for beginning farmers and traditionally disadvantaged farmers. in our state of minnesota, that means native american farmers and hmung farmers and veteran farmers to make sure they have

an ability to access usda services. i want to thank the senators for helping with that work. as a ranking member of the rural development energy subcommittee, i am very happy this bill also includes strong energy title that strengthens energy programs like the rural energy for america program. my colleague, senator klobuchar, has also provided great leadership on this, along with senator exrnst, and i'm very happy to see that included. i also would just like to note, chairman roberts, that i'm very happy for the inclusion of our rural health liaison legislation in the managers package today. i worked on that with senator rounds and senator jones. this will encourage the collaboration we know we need between usda and health and human services to address the specific health care needs of rural communities. i'm very happy to see that included. thank you again. chair roberts and ranking member

stabe stabenow, i look forward to continuing with this bill. >> i thank the senator. senator hogan, with your permission, i would like to recognize our leader, senator mcconnell, for his three minutes and 21 seconds. >> well, thank you, mr. chairman, ranking member stabenow. >> could i say one other thing? and pardon the interruption. thank you for your commitment not only to be here but your commitment, and i want to make this clear to everybody and also with regards to senator schumer, both leaders committed once we finish our business here, we can finish our business on the floor of the united states senate. thank you, sir. >> well, let me mention -- thank you, mr. chairman. we'll turn to the farm bill before the 4th of july. and i'm hopeful that the house will get to theirs. it will probably look a little

different from ours, but i'm hoping they will get to theirs shortly, which will give us the chance to get into conference and actually make a law here, which i know we're all intentionally interested in doing. i want to thank both of you for the process that's led us to today. in my home state of kentucky, our agricultural heritage is an essential part of our heritage and pride. poultry, beef and tobacco. 75,000 farms in the blue grass provide jobs and a great way of life for a lot of people that i represent. i'm proud to support this bill before us today. it can deliver much needed certainty for farmers. one way it does so is by protecting crop insurance, a crucial tool for our farmers that face challenges such as natural disasters or inclement weather that could wipe out an entire operation. the legislation also provides important reforms to support

kentucky's 12 million acres of forest land and their contributions to our economy, and helping combat the opioid crisis and investing in water infrastructure projects. by any measure, this is a good bill with common sense proposals to help families and communities. i particularly want to thank the chairman and ranking member for including my hemp farming act in this bill. there are a lot of supports around this table. thank you. i think it is time we took this step. i think everybody is now figured it out. this is not the other plant. we had a little difficulty four years ago in putting the palate projects in the farm bill explaining to people this is a totally different plant. i know there are farming communities all over the country who are interested in this. mine particularly interested in it. the reason for that is, as all

of you know, our number one cash crop used to be something really not good for you, tobacco. and that has declined significantly, as it should given the public health concerns. and younger farmers in my state are particularly interested in going in this direction. so i think it's time for america and i'm very excited about what you have done. got a lot of people in my state who are extremely enthusiastic about the possibilities. i don't know from a thai perspective if this will ever be as big as tobacco was. just to give you an idea how big tobacco was, when i came to the senate, we had a quo a program passed. and you, of course, fully remember, it's a little bit like something out of moscow in the early 1920s. but anyway, they assigned quota to the farm. and we had at least some tobacco in 119 of 120 counties. it was the only thing you could grow profitably that was legal. it was legal.

up what we call a holler, a holler is an area between two tall mountains, and it was literally everywhere. but for obvious -- obviously the public health concerns, the program began to decline. i was fortunate enough to orchestrate a buyout of those quotas created by the government. the asset was attached to the land, and when you paid your property taxes, the tobacco quota you had was part of the value of your land. no tax money was used in the buyout, which you will remember, pat, from probably 2004, 2005. but it was paid for, essentially, by the industry itself. and, so, over a ten-year period, this quota that was created by the government that added value

to the land was compensated for. and we always had diverse agriculture, but there was nothing as big as tobacco. so all the people in rural kentucky who sort of grew up with tobacco are hoping that this will be really something. as we all know, hemp is very diversified. it could end up in your car dashboard. it could end up in food. it could end up in certain kinds of pharmaceuticals. it's time to figure it out and see will the market will take us. and so i just want to conclude by thanking y'all very much for your interest in this. i think it is an important new development in american agriculture and i hope -- there is plenty of hemp around. it's just come from some other country. why in the world would we want a lot of it not to come from here. in any event, thank you very much. >> mr. chairman, can i add a word to what the leader has said on tobacco. you bring back a lot of memories.

when i was sitting down there at the very end of the table, dave and i were the two most junior members at that time and both became chair of this committee. i remember the chairman sitting up here, almost obscured by the tobacco smoke. >> yeah. everybody was smoking. >> of their cigars. senator eastman, being a strong anti-communist, he was burning castro's crops. and you heard muttering and that was the tobacco legislation. the rest of us say what did they say? you don't need to know. so you bring back some memories. thank you. >> i thank the leader and senator lahey for their perspective. >> remember in the '40s, they smoked all the time.

anyway, times have changed. for the better. >> thank you for that history lesson. i remember when i first came here and we talked about the tobacco program with president coolidge. he was known as silent cal and she just nodded his head. now we have industrial hemp and the leader has that amendment and it will be successful. >> it's going to be hard to follow that. although the leader talked about a holler in kentucky being an area between duostands of trees. in our part of the world holler means something else. so hopefully we will be able to

holler when we pass this farm bill. but thanks to both chairman and the ranking member. i know you have worked long and hard and i appreciate your willingness to dialogue. as each of you have come around and worked with all the members of this committee and then gone back and worked with each other, that's what it takes to get base text that puts us in position to pass a bill. and that's where we are. i know we will go through amendments. hopefully not for too long. but it doesn't happen without that base text that reflects the input of all the members. and as a number of our members have said, we don't get everything we want. we will work on that in the amendment process, to try to get some additional things done. but that base text is vital in terms of getting a starting point we can bring this bill out of this committee with enough consensus to move it on the floor. i think we're in a position to do that. and that's a tribute to you two, and it doesn't happen without an incredible amount of work on your part as well as a lot of

experience and knowledge of what you are working on and your staffs and our staffs. big thanks to you and to the staffs. i know some have been up all night. we have to recognize and appreciate how hard they work and how committed they are to helping get this done. the leader i think it is particularly good you are here because it reflects our ability to get this done, your push behind it, both in your committee and on the floor. look, i think the priorities are in here. that's why i think this does work. our farmers up against it are farmers and ranchers. commodity prices are low. they face a lot of challenges, right? so we have to try to move this bill to help them help reduce the uncertainty. they are the most productive in the world. no question they can compete. the point i like to make is good farm policy benefits every single american every single day because we have the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world. passing this bill doesn't help farmers and ranchers, this helps every american.

every american benefits from what we do here. highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world benefitting every single american every single day. not to mention all the economic benefits our farmers and ranchers create, whether it is jobs, favorable balance of trade, you name it. absolutely leading the world in feeding the world. just mentioning real quick the priorities. you know, things that we have laid out that are vital. and this builds on the existing farm bill. we're not trying to recreate the wheel. we're trying to improve the farm bill we have. and i think that's a very good thing. it starts out with insurance. john thun and others talked about how we worked to improve those things. the ag research, we're doing things in agriculture that we wouldn't even have dreamed of a few years ago. we wouldn't have had to go back

to coolidge. we're going back five years. we're growing crops for energy and other uses in addition to food that we couldn't grow in regions of the country before. that's all due to ag research, both university based and nrs. we need them both. we cover those bases here. obviously the no cost sugar programs are very big in our part of the world. it is a huge industry and it goes to making sure our farmers have a fair opportunity to compete in global markets. programs like the vaccine bank, to make sure we keep our livestock and crops, particularly our livestock, healthy as well as the research to keep our crops healthy. access to capital is one we will work on some more here. we will get something done. there may be back and forth, but we have to make sure or farmers and ranchers get that access to capital. particularly in these tough times. so i will wrap up there. but again, thanks to all the members of the committee for the willingness to work together.

but it starts with our leadership. and i want to thank you and again the staff for all your hard work. >> appreciate that senator. >> thank you, mr. chairman. he outlined the priorities for north dakota, but while the majority leader is here, i'd like to mention as one of the negotiators on the tobacco settlement, we worked very hard to get a transition piece for your farmers so they could, in fact, find success growing other crops. i think the industry's willingness to step up may have been encouraged by that settlement. but north dakota in the 1990s passed a hemp bill allowing for the growth of hemp in our state. we have been waiting for this for almost 20 years. and so i'm proud to join with you in helping your farmers transition away from tobacco, transition into a crop that they can be successful in.

i think that's the beauty of the farm bill for all of us. beauty of the farm bill is we recognize the regional differences. we recognize the commonalities and then we're able to forge a coalition and forge a great bill as our ranking member and our chairman have done here. i want to point out a couple things. i hope we can all hang together on the floor against changes to the farm bill that will weaken this structure and this coalition. we know there's going to be attempts to change the foundations of the crop insurance program. limitations that i think could weaken the crop insurance program. we always have a challenge with sugar, as you know. some of the colleagues here don't always share that point of view. i voted for catfish, i voted for tobacco, which i voted for a lot of things, cotton and rice, that we don't grow in north dakota, because that's in essence the quality of the coalition that's forged here. i stand ready.

90% of north dakota's land is engaged in production agriculture. think about that. i mean, it is the bedrock of what we do in north dakota. and as the majority leader has said, it is part of our culture. we care deeply about this. that's witnessed by having two senators from north dakota on the ag committee. we will have an amendment process here. i hope that we come out united to pass a farm bill and to make this process easy on the two who have done the most amount of work and that is chairman roberts and ranking member stabenow to get this across the finish line. i pledge my cooperation in helping achieve a farm bill before the fourth of july. i'm going to submit my comments, but i wanted to give the pitch for unity coming out of this committee. >> i thank the senator. senator danes. >> mr. chairman thank you. thank you for parental

supervision to get us to this point and your hard work on this bill. this bill is good for montana farmers and ranchers. among other things, this bill will protect crop insurance. i hear a lot about that back home, supporting a research and provide much needed certainty in these turbulent times in the farming economy. if you look at the notepad here, this is a committee on agriculture, nutrition and forestry. i do believe the forestry title could be stronger. i'm grateful it includes my legislation with senator klobuchar to do cross-boundary work. it empowers state foresters. i do believe we could do more to restore active management of our forest. forestry is a crop. you plant it, you harvest it. i'd like to address three common misperceptions i often encounter as we think about national forest policy. first is that the timber wars of a previous generation are still going on today. if you believe that, put on your abba and olivia newton john music and have the debate.

in reality, in montana and across the west, we are seeing extensive collaboration between conservation, wildlife, wood product stakeholders along with counties working together to determine responsible forest management practices. we should not allow extremists to obstruct their work. this leads to the second myth. restoring active management is just a code phrase for excessive logging. actually, active management is critical to restoring healthy forests, which has widespread benefits, clean air, better fish and wildlife habitat, the outdoor economy. clean water and wood products jobs. and most important, active management enhances public safety by reducing the threat of wildfire. a healthy forest is a carbon sink. a wildfire is an incredible emitter of carbon. the third false impression is that accelerating restoration projects shortchanges the public process. it currently takes 18 to 24

months to do most environmental reviews. after that is done, many projects in montana are litigated, which could add years of delays. right now as i sit here this morning, 29 timber sales are currently impacted by fringe litigation. and unfortunately, the fringe groups have a disproportionate voice in this city that stops a lot of common sense forest management reforms. reducing red tape and combatting chronic litigation does not erode public input. it safeguards it. it does so by ensuring the public feedback of the majority obstructing several dissenters. to be clear, robust engagement and public engagement will still occur under every proposal i bring up today. with that i yield back my 13 seconds, mr. chairman. >> i appreciate that, senator. thank you. especially with your comments regarding forestry management,

thank you for the job you do as senator of this committee. senator klobuchar. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. thank you too you and senator stabenow. we saw what happened over in the house and the two of you rose above it all and got this bill done. thank you. senator mcconnell. thank you for your words. we're excited about the hemp provision, and we're most excited this bill will go to the floor by the fourth of july, whereas my friend from iowa knows the corn is knee high by the fourth of july, shoulder high. in minnesota, it may be knee high. >> a generation ago it was knee high. now it's shoulder high. >> already. i'm using my time up for a song. all right. there we go. okay. so our farmers are facing a lot right now. they are facing everything from low prices to some late weather in the midwest. we had snow in april in minnesota, a blizzard. we've got trade issues. and pork that goes to canada in

our state. beef to south korea. corn and poultry to mexico. our ag producers sent 7.1 billion in ag products to markets around the world. it makes it even more important that we come together with a solid and consistent farm policy out of the congress when they're facing those kinds of headwinds. we're glad that, mr. chairman, that the strong farm safety net is in and some of the changes to the arc program are good. i am glad the work that senator cornyn and i did together to lead to the permanent authorization for the national animal disease preparedness response and recovery program and this vaccine bank that everyone has referred to. we lost 9 million turkeys in 23 minnesota counties as senator smith noted. so this is really important in the midwest. and we don't know when we're

going to see the next disease or what it will be and we have to be prepared for that. our conservation programs are good. we got up 1 million acres and we'd like to see more. in senator thume's provision to fix the loophole in the sod safer program is included. also the work we have done to make this bill as sophisticated as our farmers and the kind of technology we're using now to be able, with precision ag, the data we're collecting to allow that data to be shared which will lead to better conservation practices, but is also supported by our farmers because it could lead to less expensive production if we figure out how best to plant, how best to use water. those are exciting things in these bills. i want to thank also senator dain for the work we have done together on forestry. we have a big track of forests in minnesota where my dad's hometown is up in northern minnesota. so thanks for all. all in all, this has been a

great effort and really assigned to our rural communities that we're going to have some consistency coming out of the united states senate when that corn is knee high or shoulder high on the fourth of july. thank you. >> i thank the senator. senator purdue. >> thank you, mr. chairman. united states is today one of three great bread baskets in the world and certainly a national security industry. it is the largest industry in my state and i fought to get on this committee for that reason. i want to thank you and the ranking member for your hard work on this farm bill, producing a product that balances the needs of every commodity in every region is not an easy task. i'm happy to see this draft attempts to do just that. as most of our members have done, i have traveled all over my state, the state of georgia listening to stakeholders. in we have part of the ag industry. one thing is abundantly clear, this is a jobs bill.

getting this farm bill across the finish line is a must for rural communities in my state and all over the country. that said, this bill is good, but it's not perfect. it's a solid common sense, fiscally responsible bill and i look forward to getting it through the senate floor shortly. however, there is one area that as we go through the amendment process i think we need to pay attention to. electric cooperatives provide electricity to farms, families and businesses across rural georgia. i'm very concerned about the financial impact of the rings to the credit program currently included in the bill. it could cause electricity rates in georgia to increase dramatically. mr. chairman, i know members also share my concern. so i'd like to continue the conversation on how we can lessen the total impact of these changes to this program. again, i want to thank and i echo senator lahey's comments

earlier. i have said this for three years. this is probably the most bipartisan committee i sit on. i don't take that lightly. i appreciate the work that the ranking member stabenow and you, chairman roberts, have done to provide that background for the bill. i look forward to going through the amendment process with you and hopefully get this done as we go into the fourth of july. thank you. >> i thank the senator. senator casey. >> i want to thank you and the ranking member for the work that you have done on this bipartisan farm bill. i can't imagine the number of hours you put in. we're grateful for that work. i live in a state where nearly 3.4 million people live in 48 rural counties, about 27% of our population. this bill makes important investments in rural pennsylvania communities, as well as those across the country. it provides, excuse me, provides

our farmers with the certainty they need and deserve. it makes important changes to the farm safety net, ensures that those in need will not go hungry. i'm pleased that the bill establishes a farm to food bank program and makes it easier for our farmers to access the senior food box program. the bill that this committee has crafted appropriately recognizes the diversity of american agriculture and makes investments in local and regional food systems, especially crops. provides permanent mandatory baseline funding for organic research. the bill also makes significant investments in conservation programs. it codifies the conservation reserve enhancement program, which is greatly important to the state of pennsylvania and increases funding for the regional conservation partnership program.

i'm grateful for the pennsylvania priorities that are included in the bill. and i want to again commend the chair and the ranking member for their work and i want to thank adam, joyce and claire of my staff who did such good work. thank you. >> thank you, senator. senator ernst. >> thank you very much. thanks, mr. chair. member stabenow as well. we working on a number of issues together. also to the members of this committee for all of the diligent work over the past year. i know this has taken an incredible effort to get us here today. i am pleased we're taking this important step forward in supporting our farmers and ranchers and addressing many of the concerns i have heard from iowans as i tour this state. farmers in rural areas are resilient, but when we're saddled with tension, it does truly take a toll. it is critical that farmers and

ranchers know that absolutely we have their back. this legislation maintains robust crop insurance, improves commodity programs and promotes soil, health and water quality. however, the bill is not perfect. we must do more to help snap recipients rise up out of poverty. the u.s. economy is booming right now. for the first time on record the number of job openings exceeds the number of americans looking for work. we must seize this opportunity to help folks become self-sufficient. mr. chairman, i would like to thank you and the ranking member to work with me to include a pilot for milk incentives in the managers package. the evidence is clear folks do lead healthier lives if they consume more milk and i know my dairy farmers will truly appreciate that. when my original amendment was struck, i know farm bills are forged through compromise, and that's what you have done, mr. chair and ranking member, is work on that compromise. and i think it's fair to say

that this committee looks for common ground where it can be found. and in that spirit, i appreciate the willingness to include this pilot. and i'm hopeful that this is just a first step forward on this important issue. we have a bill before us that will need hungry americans, protect our natural resources, mitigate risk and support our rural jobs. with that said, let's roll up our sleeves. let's go on and get to work and give our farmers and ranchers and folks all across this great nation the certainty and predictability they need now and for many years to come. thank you very much, mr. chair. >> thank you, senator. senator bennett. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank you and the ranking member as everybody has for this farm bill but also for your leadership over many years. when the democrats were in charge here, we were able to pass a bistart part /* -- bipartisan bill that was the

only fiscally responsible bill that congress passed in that time. we're doing it again with republican leadership. i'm so grateful that there is an oasis. thank you for being here. and if you want to send everything through the ag committee, we might find that we could actually get some important work done on behalf of the american people. it is good to see. with the uncertainty on trade and on immigration in my state and with commodity prices where they are, our farmers and ranchers desperately need this farm bill. not just to pass on the floor of the senate, but to pass through the house and be signed by the president. i am so grateful as i say for the leadership of this committee. i want to tick off a few things that are important to colorado, that are in this bill. first, the forestry title provide as variety of new tools to help the forest service partners and industry and other stakeholders better mapping our forests and restore priority watersheds, that's critical for us. second we placed a much-needed emphasis on soil health and

innovative conservation in the conservation title and reward producers for taking steps to protect wildlife habitat. third, in addition to improving risk management tools, we provide new economic opportunities in rural america by legalizing hemp, which is an important agricultural commodity in colorado. it's a testament to this crop that it is so, so widely supported in our country it grows everywhere. and it grows in colorado, and we've got many people who are farmers and ranchers that are looking at opportunities to manufacture, not just grow hemp, but to manufacture products for the american people, to add value and high-margin goods in rural parts of the united states. which is critically important to driving farm incomes, i look forward to our discussion, in this mark-up and the work that

we will do together as republicans and democrats, on the floor to preserve this good piece of legislation. thank you, mr. chairman, for all of your leadership. >> i thank the senator. senator donnelly. >> thank you chairman roberts in the run-up to this committee -- thank you chairman roberts and ranking member stabenow. in the run-up to this committee developing the farm bill, ivied farms across the state and held meetings with stakeholders from nearly every segment of indiana's agricultural community. a students and researchers and anti-hunger advocates. i view myself as a hired help for hoosiers, i'm committed to writing a farm bill that works well for farmers in rural communities and addresses food insecurity. i heard repeatedly over the last year about the need to write a farm bill that helps manage the uncontrollable risks of farming, including protecting crop insurance and developing commodity programs that reflect market conditions. i heard about the importance of

developing new market opportunities, particularly through supporting exports to markets around the world. i heard the strong passion of many hoosiers to promote voluntary conservation efforts, to improve soil health and water quality. i listened to hoosiers who care deeply about supporting our communities, especially doing everything we can to fight the opioid epidemic. i talked with students and researchers and saw the benefits of investing in tomorrow's farmers and a technologies. and i visited with hoosier who is spend their time fighting hunger in our communities. the 2018 farm bill developed by this committee reflects those important priorities, it protects crop insurance, helps fight the opioid epidemic, promotes voluntary conservation, develops new market opportunities, supports rural communities, and helps address food insecurity. it's not perfect and we have to work on a number of opportunities today. to improve it further. but it's a very good bill.

it's a testament to the members of this committee, being able to work together, as advocates for agriculture. i thank the chairman and ranking member for their bipartisan efforts to get us here. i look forward to working together to get this farm bill across the finish line. to give our farmers and communities the certainty they deserve. thank you, mr. chairman. >> i want to thank all members for their comments. the committee will proceed now to the consideration of s-3042 for amendment. by unanimous consent we adopt the robert/stabenow committee print in the nature of a substitute to s-3042 that will be considered the original text for the purpose of amendment so ordered. i offer a robert stabenow manager's amt amendment that's been distributed to all members and an end bloc amendment. all offices have been notified as to filed amendments and any

modifications are include enbloc and a list of those amendments and modifications have been distributed to members, all of those in favor of the manager's amendment and amendments on the end bloc signify by saying aye. the ayes have it. the committee will proceed by considering amendments to this bill, title by title in reverse. starting with title 12, and finishing with title 1. once finished with a title. we will move to consider amendments to the next title. in addition, we've agreed without objection that all amendments need to be jermaine, have been properly filed, maintain a budget-neutral bill. be free from earmarks and other than the substitute amendment which is the text of the mark, now in amendment form to not include significant matter outside this committee's jurisdiction. i would note that a relevant

amendment to one title may open a different title in order to preserve an overall budget-neutral bill. senator stabenow, are you in agreement? >> i am. >> without objection, so ordered. the committee is open to any amendment to title 12. >> mr. chairman? mr. chairman? >> yes. senator fisher? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i would like to call my amendment number 7 to eliminate duplicate pesticide permitting. this bipartisan amendment would address the duplicative permitting of pesticides and the clean water add. this process includes unnecessary resource burdens and challenges for pesticide registrants and users, including small businesses, local water authorities and the agricultural community. pesticides are critical for maintaining a healthy and viable

environment by eliminating harmful and invasive pests. and that threatens the livelihoods of our producers. fifers already requires the epa insure pesticides cause no reasonable adverse effects to humans or the environment. the label is the law, users who do not follow the pesticide label are in violation of federal law, even without a water permit. additionally as a result of costly compliance regulations and the increase in clean water act liability, many rural communities and small municipalities are being forced to reduce or cancel their mosquito control programs. this places families at risk for devastating mosquito-borne diseases like west nile virus, yellow fever and malaria. state agencies have testified that clean water act permits offer no additional environmental benefits, because pesticide applications are

already received and regulated through a string gent approval process. furthermore, the epa under administrator gina mccarthy in the obama administration, also agreed that they coulded a kuwa -- they could adequately manage pesticides under the fifra and they don't need the mpds component. this amendment clarifies congressional intent that the clean water act and mpds permits should not be considered for application of pesticides approved by the epa and authorized for sale, distribution and use under fifra. i want to thank senators heitkamp and bozeman for co-sponsoring this amendment. i recognize there's a difference of opinion in this committee on including common sense regulatory reform measures at the time. so i will not ask for a roll call vote. however, i hope we can resolve this longstanding issue as we look to floor action.

mr. chairman, i would withdraw the amendment. >> i thank the senator. and i thank my colleague, my neighbor to the north. for raising this issue. it should be an issue that is very important to all of us. it's very important to me. i thank you for your leadership. we will continue this discussion as the bill proceeds. are there any other attempts to title 12? >> mr. chairman? >> senator heitkamp. >> i would like to call up heitkamp amendment number 6. this may seem like it's a little esoteric and unique to north dakota. but i think it's critical to have a discussion about two issues. one is state's rights in the state's ability to regulate who owns farm land. it is critically important we keep, i think, actually keep input costs down. i think senator grassley in his opening comment talked about

land prices and talked about the growth in land prices, it's been part of north dakota's heritage for a lot of years to not allow corporations to own farmland. that has helped keep farmland in the hands of family farmers. it has helped reflect, i think, a longstanding policy. unfortunately, in spite of a consistent position from the state legislature, consistent position from the voters of our state who have systematically voted to maintain this policy. there's a pending court case that uses the dormant commerce clause, not something that's in favor by this court, but the dormant commerce clause to argue because it would burden interstate commerce and because this body hasn't acted to prevent it, that this law would in fact be in violation of congressional policies, regarding control of interstate commerce so there's a federal connection, if we pass my amendment, what would actually

happen is the court would then be sent a signal that we respect the 10th amendment. we respect state's rights, we respect the ability of states to make these determinations on their own. recognizing that this is fairly esoteric and recognizing that i haven't yet been able to find a co-sponsor for this amendment, i withdraw it but i wanted to raise it just to help educate about how critically important it is to let states regulate the ownership of the land within their jurisdiction. it wouldn't prevent corporate farming, it would just say the states get to decide. thank you, mr. chairman, i withdraw my amendment. >> senator stabenow? >> thank you mr. chairman. i just wanted to thank senator heitkamp for fighting for her farmers in north dakota and around the country. we know this needs further work and committed to working with you on this. but i understand and appreciate how strongly you're fighting for them. >> i thank the senator, are there any other amendments to

title 12? senator thune? >> mr. chairman, i would call up thune amendment number 5. this amendment would grant the usda secretary discretion to improve soil moisture monitoring by increasing the number of monitoring stations or by using other cost-effective soil moisture measuring devices, it also would require usda agencies to use consistent precipitation monitoring data, and drought assessment across programs that usda administers. for the past two years, in western south dakota precipitation monitoring has been inconsistent resulting in some livestock producers not being eligible for raising assistance from the usda. i'm sure this is a problem that isn't unique to south dakota, but occurs in other sparsely populated areas. this is something that i heard rather consistently from livestock producers in western south dakota. and who might in some cases be on adjacent farms or certainly

adjacent counties that are treated very differently because the methodology used by usda is very inconsistent. the bill received a zero score from the congressional budget office. i think it's something that from a practical standpoint makes a lot of sense and certainly would provide some uniformity and consistency to this process in states like mine where we have it seems like a recurring issues with drought. we certainly had that in 2012 and last year in 2017. and i'm sure it will happen again. it's nice to have good data to work from. i think this amendment makes sense and i would ask for the committee's support. >> debate on the amendment. the question is on the adoption of the amendment. signify by saying aye? the ayes have it. are there further amendments to title 12?

>> mr. chairman? i have one other amendment i would like to discuss, and i will withdraw it. because i understand that there's some objections have been raised to it. this would allow, this is a thune amendment number 6, and it would allow meat and poultry products processed at fsis-approved state and mpi-inspected facilities to be sold across state lines. all meat and poultry products sold for human consumption inspected by the food safety inspection service, fsis allows states to create mpi programs and requires the state inspection programs to be equal to federal meat and poultry inspection programs. currently there are 27 states with fsis-approved meat and/or

poultry inspection programs. however, state mpi-inspected facilities are not allowed to be sold across state lines. farm bureau and u.s. cattlemen support this amendment. mr. chairman, and it's something, it's similar to a piece of legislation offered by my colleagus in south dakota, senator rounds and senator king from maine. but i would in the interest of moving the bill forward, ask that we have an opportunity to discuss this further perhaps for some action on the floor and i withdraw the amendment. >> i thank the senator -- >> mr. president or mr. chairman? >> is there an additional amendment to title 12? >> no, i would like to ask senator thune a question, is the opposition that's shown up from, is it from the big packers that don't want the competition from

the in-state smaller processors? >> well i'm told that there are livestock groups and who were the other -- folks that were -- >> yeah. >> of course the packers. >> is it because the livestock groups are fronting for the big packers? >> the senator from iowa may be on to something there. >> senator from iowa wish to say anything more? >> i've got to wait until a staff person gets here and then i've got something i want to say about a couple of things. >> is that a confession? >> further amendments to title 12? if not, we proceed to title 11. are there any amendments to title 11?

>> mr. chairman, if i might just ask, i know that senator klobuchar has an amendment she wants to offer and i believe she may be in judiciary. and so if it would be possible to put aside title 11 and go on

and come back to it when she's here, that would be terrific. >> certainly. >> thank you. >> certainly. are there any further amendments to title 11? hearing none, amendments to title 10? >> mr. chairman? >> senator perdue. i'd like to offer my amendment perdue 2 to title 10, i won't be asking for a vote today. there is some opposition that the conversation should continue, but i do want to highlight the importance of this potential amendment and look forward to working with the committee on it. the purpose of my amendment is to codify the exclusive role of state lead agencies, not political subdivisions as pesticide co-regulators with the epa. while congress clearly intended to states regulate pesticide sale distribution and use, courts have interpreted otherwise, this amendment would make sure each state haze one set of regulations in pesticides, for pesticides,

rather than a patchwork of different standards in 89,000 cities and towns in the united states. they can transmit arbitrarily drawn borders of political subdivisions. restricting pesticide use without scientific justification in one locality unnecessarily jeopardizes the public health of the citizens of that locality as well as surrounding areas. let me also be clear, this amendment does not prevent a state lead agency from prescribing how pesticides are used within that state, nor does it interfere with the decisions of public property managers from deciding if they will safely use pest management tools as authorized by state and federal regulations in, on, and around public properties that they own or manage. it's a scientifically sound and pro growth policy for the state lead agency to regulate pesticides, not hundreds of contradictory, confusing, and overlapping local and government relations. but because there is some controversy around this, disagreement around this, i will be withdrawing -- i do withdraw that, mr. chairman.

thank you. >> i thank the senator. further amendments to title 10? are there any amendments to title nine? >> mr. chairman, if i might, i know that senator klobuchar also has an amendment to title nine, the energy title. i know she's on her way, but if you would be willing to move on -- >> i have one. >> that would be terrific. >> senator bennet. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i'd like to call up bennet amendment number 16 regarding funding and technical assistance for carbon and bio gas utilization. this amendment seeks to build out usda initiatives that are working to improve their capabilities and make it easier for the industries that want to use carbon and bio gas to access government resources. it also provides a modest amount of funding for competitive grants to overcome some of the barriers of carbon utilization. we've heard that it's difficult for small bio gas producers to put in place cost-effective systems to collect their waste.

this amendment would provide competitive grants to help determine cost-effective methods of aggravating organic waste from multiple sources to a single bio gas system. the amendment also improves coordination between usda and the department of energy. mr. chairman, i have heard that there were some concerns about the bio gas task force provision, an earlier version of this amendment. i have since eliminated that language based on conversations that i had with your staff and others. i spoke to the national pork producers council and others this morning. they're comfortable with the amendment now. this amendment i offer today addresses the concerns i've heard from the committee and i thank senator smith of minnesota tomorrow joining me as a co-sponsor of the amendment, which is supported by the national farmers union carbon capture coalition and the american bio gas council. i would also like to thank you, mr. chairman, and the ranking member and yours staffs for working with me on this important issue. and with that, i'd ask for a voice vote of the committee. >> all those in favor of senator

bennet's amendment will signify by saying aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. are there further amendments to -- are there further amendments to title nine? are there any amendments to title eight? >> mr. chairman. >> senator daines. >> chairman, i call up daines amendment one. this amendment builds on the reforms that were made in the omnibus by more fully adopting the position taken by the obama administration in the cottonwood environmental law center versus the u.s. forest service. it would clarify the consultation requirements between the forest service and the u.s. fish and wildlife service after the agencies receive new information related to impacted species. i just want to remind the

committee that the obama administration fully supported what i'm trying to do here. senator tester has been a co-sponsor of a bill i've introduced to the same effect. the obama administration said the cottonwood decision has the potential to cripple land management. this amendment helps to further address that concern. unfortunately, frankly, some of the extreme interests have gotten their way in and have stopped doing the reforms that the obama administration, senator tester, and i support. i realize there is more discussion to be had, so i withdraw this amendment and look forward to working with both parties on this issue as the farm bill goes to the floor. >> has the senator withdrawn the amendment? >> i do. >> does the senator wish tomorrow recognized for any further amendment? >> i don't. >> are there any further amendments to title eight? are there any amendments to

title seven? come, 11. amendments to title seven? amendments to title six? hearing no amendments, we move to title five. hearing no amendments, we move to title four. hearing no amendments, we move to title three. >> mr. chairman? >> senator heitkamp? yes. >> i'm sorry -- [ inaudible ] >> senator heitkamp, if you will hold for senator hoeven -- so, you want to go back to title

five? >> i do. >> fine. senator heitkamp, why don't you introduce your amendment, to title three, then we'll come back to title five. >> okay. i'm going to introduce my amendment, call up my amendment to title three, kiheitkamp amendment one, supported by klobuchar, leahy, boozman and bennet. this will allow to trade into cuba using the trade promotion programs that are available to any other producers who wants to promote their product in any country that we have relationships with. i think that it is high time that we explore that market. it's somewhat ironic that i would be the person pursuing it, because i think the great opportunity here is in rice, and some of the southern crops. but i think this is a critical component of building those relationships that will help us establish a trade relationship with a country that is only 90 miles off our shore. and so, i'm hopeful that we can

finally close this chapter on our relationship with cuba, open up this opportunity for our farmers and our ranchers to promote their products and to sell. i think we can all agree that one of the great concerns that we have right now is market disruption and exports. we know we grow more in this country than what we can possibly consume, and growing markets is absolutely critically important to improving our commodity prices. and so, mr. chairman, i'd ask for a roll call vote. >> as i speak to people around the country, i have consistently heard that one answer to the challenging economic times we are facing is in regard to strong trade policies, or a trade policy that is consistent. i personally have traveled to cuba at least three times. in my memory. and witnessed firsthand both the

opportunities and the challenges that exist in developing cuba as a market for u.s. agriculture. we need a trade policy of the united states that provides certainty and stability as we look forward to normalizing trade between the united states and cuba, we need to take a major and realistic approach, one that takes into account responsible investment of taxpayer dollars and policies that encourage cuba to embrace the practices of free trade, enterprise, and commerce. i like forward to continuing my work -- or to work with my colleagues to strengthen and grow markets for our farmers. i think we can pass this by a voice vote, if the senator would agree. >> mr. chairman, i'd be thrilled if we could pass this by a voice vote. >> all those in favor of the heitkamp amendment will signify by saying aye. those opposed no. the ayes have it. go back to title five and

senator hoeven. >> mr. chairman, i'd like to call up amendment hoeven one. what this does is it amends the amount of the fsa loan guarantee, which is currently $1.39 million, and it increases it to $2.5 million. and it increases the direct loan from $300,000 to $600,000. now, the reason that we use -- that we're changing it to those amounts is because that's what both the commodity groups and the financial institutions have asked for based on the needs of our farmers and ranchers at this time. and so, i also have included another amendment, hoeven ten, which is one that i'd worked with senator klobuchar on as well. that's at $1.75 million, which is what the house passed. so, i'd like the committee to

consider the $2.5 million, because then we're going to end up with something more than the 1.75. right now, you can get almost 1.4, so at 1.75, you're really not increasing it much. and again, i didn't pull these amounts out of the air. this is what the following groups have asked for. it includes almost all the commodity groups, the national corn growers, national association of wheat growers, the american soybean association, national cotton council, national potato council, and then also the financial groups, american bankers association, independent community banks, national rural lenders association, farm credit council, national association of credit specialists, and in our state, just a whole litany of groups. so again, that's why -- i'd like us to consider the 2.5 million. and again, remember when we go to committee, we're going to be negotiating their 1.75, so when

you look at going from 1.4 to something between 1.75, if we can pass it. given, one, that that's what all the groups are saying they need out there. and when you look that we're really not going up that much, in fact, it's just -- it really is based on what it costs to farm these days. and so, that's really the differen difference, trying to increase that a little bit more in line with the request we've received. >> mr. chairman. >> senator klobuchar. >> mr. chairman, i first want to thank senator hoeven. we have worked together on many, many things, successfully, and we're still trying to get this worked out. we came at it with the same intention, and that is because of changes in farming and limits that were set in the past. so, we need to make our law updated so it accommodates that, but i think the countervailing force is how do we make sure the

money isn't just used up by just the big farmers and there's still money for the starting farmers and smaller farmers. so, that's why i'm doing a second-degree amendment to hoeven amendment one, and this secondary amendment would increase the loan limits for both guaranteed operating and ownership loans from the current camp of $1.39 million to $1.75 million. this amendment would also increase loan limits on the direct side, lifting the cap on direct ownership from $300,000 to $600,000 and on direct operating from $300,000 to $400,000. i note that this amendment also includes important language that i worked on with senator hoeven to increase the data we have on borrowers and participation rates, and i ask my fellow committee members to join me on this. and again, our hope is in the end that we will have a compromise. we know how important this is and we went into it with that intention. >> any further debate on the

amendment? hearing none, all those in favor of adopting the amendment say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes have it. the business before the committee now is the hoeven amendment, mended by the second-degree amendment by senator klobuchar. all those in favor of that amendment will signify by saying aye. all those opposed no. the ayes have it. are there further amendments to title five? under consideration of this bill that we go back to title 12? >> i think it's title 11. >> or title 11? >> i think senator grassley wanted to say something. >> senator grassley, if you wish to say anything with regards to

title 12. >> i'm not going to offer an amendment, but i wanted to state something dealing with the help farming act. can i do that now? >> you are recognized. >> so, this bill procedurally more than substance, but also part of it on substance, because i support industrial hemp. i object to this bill being amended to the farm bill on several grounds. procedurally, the bill is way out of order. the bill was first introduced in april. it bypassed referral to the judiciary committee under rule 14 and was placed on the legislative calendar. now the bill is being taken up in this committee. i have objected on procedural grounds. my objection was apparently ignored. this bill is squarely within the judiciary committee jurisdiction. hemp is a controlled substance that is subject to the provisions of title 21, the

controlled substance act. on substantive grounds, i disagree with how hemp is defined under the bill. if the purpose is to legalize it for industrial uses, then the bill should do that, but it does not. the bill opens up legalized hemp to include, quote, derivatives, extracts, and canniboids," of the plant. the derivatives aren't used for industrial purposes. they're used to make things like cbd or cannibadial oils. cbd is a chemical in the plant that could be extracted and treat everything from anxiety to epilepsy, things that i have found my constituents say they've got some good results from, but how it's handled for the safety of the individuals is very important to me. so i have a bill that provides a narrow regulated pathway for research into the medical beneficials of cbd and for a process to make responsible products that would be regulated

by the fda. today's bill will allow any snake oil salesman to market and sell any cbd product as a dietary supplement or anything else without any regulatory controls whatsoever. that leaves consumers without assurances about the safety or the quality of the product that they're buying. it will put children at risk. and a couple years ago, i had a hearing on that very subject before the judiciary committee about the quality. i have constituents with epileptic children who are desperate for answers. these folks will turn to anything to help their children, even if it means taking inordinate risk by buying products that are untested, unproven, and potentially harmful. my bill would provide assurances that safe, responsible products are put on the shelves after the proper research and testing is done and the necessary approvals are met. so, i ask, mr. chairman and members of this committee, to at

least work with me to modify this provision after this bill gets out of committee so that children's health isn't threatened. i'm done, mr. chairman. >> i thank the senator. senator mcconnell. >> mr. chairman, i understand the concerns that my friend, the chairman of the judiciary committee, has, and as a result of that, we consulted with the justice department, we got suggestions from the food and drug administration, suggestions from the ranking member of the judiciary committee and suggestions from the chairman of the judiciary committee. we appreciate their input, and in fact, we incorporated a number of their suggestions. so, let me outline them. and this is a result of discussions with the chairman, the ranking member, the justice department, and the food and drug administration. first, clarified that the secretary of agriculture can, can consult with the attorney

general in reviewing proposed state and tribal plants for growing hemp and issuing regulations and in issuing guidance. second, we clarified that the legislation does not alter the food, drug, and cosmetic act, nor does it alter the ability of the fda to enforce the food, drug, and cosmetic act. the third change we made, we improved the integrity of the hemp program by making sure that states and tribes conduct oversight of their programs and that those who seek to participate in the program are honest and truthful and have not been convicted of a felony drug offense. so, i've included a number of suggestions, but what i have not included, i've declined to include suggestions that would undercut the essential premise of the bill, namely, that hemp and its derivatives should be a legal agricultural commodity, just as it was in the united

states for many, many years. hemp should be allowed to flourish again in this country, especially as it did and has begun to do so again in my home state of kentucky, overseen by state or federal departments of agriculture with appropriate safeguards, but not the department of justice. i ask my colleagues to support the underlying provisions. i appreciate the suggestions that the chairman of the judiciary committee made. we took into account a number of those, but obviously, chose not to include all of his suggestions. thank you, mr. chairman. >> i thank the leader and i thank both senators. their comments are duly noted. and we now go back to title 11 and senator klobuchar. >> thank you very much. i'd like to request a voice vote on klobuchar amendment four as modified. sod-saver provisions is something senator thune and i have worked on for many years. they were expanded in the 2014

farm bill to include states in the prairie pothole region, including minnesota, south dakota, north dakota, montana, and nebraska. the modified amendment would maintain sod-saver in those states while giving governors around the country the option of opting into the program in their own state. i'd ask the chairman for his commitment to continue to work with me and senator thune to expand these provisions to additional states as the bill moves to the floor. do we have your commitment, mr. chairman to continue to work with us. >> everyone around this table, and for that matter, in farm country, knows that i support maintain and improving crop insurance. it's the number one issue we heard from farmers, ranchers, growers, all across this country, number one. i believe senator stabenow and i were able to accomplish that in the mark before us, including provisions to address sod-saver. the amendment would make

technical changes to the sod-saver provisions passed in the 2014 farm bill by clarifying circumstances that reductions in benefits will apply. while i have concerns with expanding the sod-saver requirements beyond the current six states, i think the amendment does strike a good balance by providing the expansion nationwide only, only if governors approve the policy change in their state. i appreciate the senator's working with us to alleviate the concerns from producers and the crop insurance industry. i can support the amendment and will continue to work with members on this provision as we move forward to the floor. all those in favor of the klobuchar amendment will signify by saying aye. those opposed no. >> no. >> the ayes have it. >> senator thune. >> mr. chairman, and i will echo what the senator from minnesota said, we've worked on this issue for some time and we appreciate your help -- >> the senator is recognized. >> thank you. [ laughter ]

and we appreciate the committee adopting in the base bill, the base text, a provision that closes the yield substitution loophole, which was a way which folks found a way around the sod-saver provisions in the previous farm bill, so that has been tightened up, which is a good thing. we would love to see this go nationwide, but i think the amendment that's been offered extends to states that certainly make sense, so we appreciate your good faith commitment to work with us as we continue to advance this and appreciate your support of this amendment. thanks. >> i thank the senator. we go back to title nine and i recognize senator daines. >> senator klobuchar, i'm sorry. >> and also senator klobuchar.

>> senator daines, do you want to go first? >> oh, sure. >> okay. mr. chairman, this is one where i'm going to withdraw the amendment, not ask for a vote. i'll be quick. this is klobuchar number two, the renewable fuel standard, as you all know, is critically important to minnesota, and recent reports indicate that dozens of small refinery waivers have been granted to large refining companies, effectively reducing the 15 billion-gallon target for the rvo, the renewable volume obligations. these actions hurt not only biofuel producers, but farmers across the u.s. at a time when farm income is at its lowest since 2006. the secretary of agriculture has deemed these waivers demand destruction for biofuels. senator grassley and i led a letter, and i so appreciate the work that senator ernst has done on this, to administrator prewitt in april, expressing our concerns with some of these actions. the number of waivers that used

to be issued each year was between six to eight for extraordinary reasons, but recent reports have noted that the epa has already issued 25 disproportionate hardship waivers this year. i'm not asking for a vote, but i will continue to work to assure that additional actions are not taken that undermine the rfs and harm minnesota producers. and appreciate -- >> i understand, senator klobuchar, that you have another amendment. >> second-degree amendment. nope, that's the other one -- >> wait a minute, i would like to follow up on her, if i could. >> thank you. >> you're recognized. >> yesterday, prewitt was in kansas -- >> you can wait three minutes. go ahead. >> prewitt was in kansas, and the news reports is that he says that he has the authority for when waivers are given for those gallons that aren't mixed because of that waiver, that he can reallocate. well, he ought to be reallocating, because in november of last year, several senators around this table, and

maybe some senators that aren't around the table met with him, and he gave us a november 13th -- or november letter saying what he had authority to do or not do, and we got 15 billion gallons promised. that's what the law requires. that's what the president of the united states said january 2016 to the iowa renewable fuels association in des moines when he was a candidate, that he wanted the maximum amount that the law would allow to be pursued by epa, if he was president. he's president now. so, prewitt through these uses of waivers has a 15 billion gallons down to 13.8 billion, so the president's promise is not being carried out by the person he appointed. prewitt is ill serving the president of the united states by not carrying that out, and i would like to see all of these

25 waivers that he's given -- >> yeah. >> now that he says he's allowed to do it get them reallocated. but now we have to start looking to 2019, because 2018's just about beyond us. so, they're working right now on the 15 billion gallons, or whatever they're going to propose. we don't know what they're going to propose. but to keep the president's promise, they'd better propose 15 billion gallons, and we'd better know now that those waivers are granted ahead of time, and those waivers then do not subtract from the 15 billion gallons. they're reallocated and we get what the president promised. >> i couldn't have said it better. >> i think, perhaps, the president heard you. >> mr. chairman, i just want to associate myself with senator grassley's comments. >> yes, very good. thank you, senator grassley, for backing up my amendment. thank you. >> i want to make culture that, you know -- >> it's a big deal. >> -- he indicated i raise my

voice. i'm not mad at anybody -- >> no, that's just how you talk. because when you're on the farmland, man, you've got to yell so people hear you. yeah, i get it. >> that's his inside voice right there. >> yeah, okay. >> i just wanted to thank -- i want to thank the senator from iowa. i meet him almost every morning to have a glass of ethanol and it warms you right up. >> all right, so, mr. chairman, unless you want to keep going on this -- >> please. please proceed. >> i would like to call up klobuchar amendment number one. this is a modification. and my amendment would restore mandatory funding for energy title programs at 2014 levels and reimburse dairy producers. this is what senator gillibrand was referring to in her opening, for the cost of their margin protection program premiums for 2015, 2016, and 2017. as we know, dairy has been very hard hit. in the 2014 farm bill, i successfully pushed for a strong

energy title with the funding necessary to support homegrown renewable fuels, worked with senator hoeven on that, which support thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic growth. the new mandatory spending in the amendment would be offset by eliminating the economic adjustment assistant for upland cotton users, a proposal that was recommended in the president's fiscal year 2019 budget. the amendment's cbo score shows that it saves $9 million over ten years. this amendment continues programs that incentive homegrown energy production and help provide immediate assistance to struggling dairy farmers. i urge its adoption. i understand that perhaps it could go by voice vote. >> the amendment would provide mandatory funding for a number of programs important to members on both sides of our committee. those include the following -- energy programs, biomass research and development initiatives, the bio-based markets program, the bio farmery renewable chemicals and

manufacturing assistance program, the bioenergy program for advanced biofuels and the biomass crop assistance program. it also provides support for dairy producers who tried using the market protection program in the first three years of the program, before it was modified by congress, and again by the mark. i am committed to working on behalf with bettering all regions, all crops, and providing funding to these programs is clearly a priority for several senators on this committee. senator stabenow. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i just also want to support this amendment. thanks, senator klobuchar, for her terrific leadership on this, and this really builds on what we did as well in the last farm bill, and this is a jobs amendment. it's about the rural bio economy, it's about jobs in rural america. these programs have leveraged more than $5 billion in private investment since 2009. so, i want to thank senator klobuchar for her great work, and mr. chairman, for working with you on this.

as you mentioned, there are a number of important issues in here. i would also indicate that i'm very pleased that senator gillibrand's priority is in this package to help our small dareies that were not able to use the new program that the last farm bill on dairy, so this is very positive as well. thank you. >> as a further comment on this -- >> mr. chairman. >> -- amendment. senator boozman. >> yes, thank you, mr. chairman. i've got sympathy for what the senator's trying to do. the problem is the pay for. the economic adjustment assistance program. it's a very popular program. it's kept many mills across the country in business, and certainly, this is a jobs situation also. currently, 44 companies in 14 states participate in the program. many states are represented on this committee. and for that reason, i would encourage a no vote and work to at some point see if we can find a different pay for.

>> mr. chairman, i appreciate the senator's sentiment. we can work together, but i think the reason we have such strong support for this on this committee is $3 billion was set aside for cotton on the last budget, significantly more than some of these other programs. that's why given what we're facing in the midwest with the prices and the lowest prices since 2006 and the issues that senator grassley has so nicely identified, that we're dealing with the biofuels side, we think this is very important. this, and we've lost so many of our dairy farmers. thank you. >> mr. chairman, i think it is correct to state that $3 billion was set aside for dairy. cotton was budget-neutral. >> we'll clarify the record, but i just know there was a lot in there for cotton. >> the only thing i would say is, again, there are many, many individuals that will be

affected by this -- 44 companies, 14 states, again, many of them sitting on this committee. >> is there further conversation for this amendment? i want to say to both senators i want to keep working on pay-fors moving forward, and i am committed to working on behalf of bettering all regions and all crops and a situation where we are trying to improve on region, but it poses clearly some problems to another. >> could we get a vote on the amendment? >> i am suggesting that we simply have a voice vote, but if the gentleman would like a roll call vote. okay. all those in favor of the

klobuchar amendment signify by saying aye. >> aye. >> all opposed no. >> no. >> the ayes have it, independent of the chair. is there any other amendment to title nine? we're going to go back to title five. any amendments to title five? any amendments to title four? any amendments on title three? title two? >> mr. chairman -- >> senator -- well, go ahead. >> mr. chairman, senator leahy is not here and asked me if i would offer an amendment that's

been modified. i understand we may be able to take on a voice vote. and i would just -- this would give livestock and dairy farmers flexibility to prioritize implementation of the environmental quality incentives program whole farm plan and would provide more time for livestock and dairy producers to complete their required whole farm management plans. and so, i would offer that on behalf of senator leahy and ask for support. >> all those in favor of the leahy amendment, please signify it by saying aye. >> aye. >> all opposed, no. independent of the chair, the ayes have it. senator thune. >> mr. chairman, this is thune number nine. this amendment provides several improvements to crp and is supported by ducks unlimited pheasants forever and the national farmers union. and very simply, what it would

do is increase acreage, the base, or the crp acreage today at capped at 24 million acres. the base bill has it at 25. this would increase that to 26.25 million acres. and at the same time, provide much-needed hen and grazing flexibility by allowing one-third of a contract holder's acres to be hayed or grazed each year on a rotational basis. this bill lowers the rental rate to 85% of mass rental rates on general crp contracts but keeps it at 88.5% for all continuous crp contracts. i work closely with both production, agricultural and conservation wildlife organizations to craft these changes that improve crp without damaging its conservation, wildlife, habitat potential. and so, that's pretty much it. it allows, as i said, an increase in the cap from the

current cap, which is $24 mill yornsion the base bill, which is $25 million, raising it 1.25 million acres and provides much-sneeded flexibility when it comes to the management of those acres in a way that is supported by not only those who benefit directly from it, but all the other groups that also are on the -- in the wildlife production corners and environmental groups. so, i would ask the committee to approve it. >> senator stabenow. >> mr. chairman, first, i appreciate very much what senator thune is trying to achieve. at this point, though, i would say our bill provides an increase in crp to 25 million acres. both the chairman and i have found a way to increase the crp acres to this level without cutting rental rates so low that it would make the program less attractive to producers.

and i know there's a number of concerns out there about that at this time. so, mr. chairman, i would stand with you in the balanced agreement we have on funding for the conservation title and oppose this amendment at this time. >> mr. chairman? >> senator thune. >> it's not just the increase in the acres, which again is something that we think makes a lot of sense, but there are some things in current law that absolutely make no sense. and i for the -- i have not for the time i've been involved with this program and with farm bills been able to figure out why under amid contract management practices, usda has required that this cover on crp acres be harvested or destroyed, even during years of severe drought and hay shortages. and we find ourselves, as we did in 2012 and 2017, going to usda

and begging for emergency authority to hay and graze some of these acres, which we did eventually get, both in 2012 and 2017. that authority was granted to hay and graze environmentally sensitive acres without any adverse effects. and so, this is an amendment that brings some much-needed flexibility to crp acres by allowing farmers a third, a third, a third, every three years, or i should say, you take a third of their crp acres in any given year and be able to hay those, also with a reduction in payments, commensurate to that, or to graze those acres in the same way. and again, it's something that we find, at least in our part of the country where crp is utilized rather extensively, that under these midcontract management practices, they have to destroy this, and it's a valuable commodity, and particularly in years where you've got a drought.

so, it gets rid of the need of midcontract management practices. it gets rid of the need for emergency haying and grazing in drought years. this is an amendment that i think is not only going to be very popular, is very popular with producers, but also, as i said, is supported by all the environmental and conservation groups and wildlife production groups, including ducks unlimited and pheasants forever. so, again, i would ask that members of this committee support this. the reduction in the rate on regular crp acres goes from 88.5%, which is in the base bill, to 85%. we keep it at 88.5% for continuous crp acres, which is something i think you all wanted us to do, but we think that the groups are supportive of having this rental rate at 85% in order to get the increase in the acreage and the flexibility that would come with this amendment.

>> i want to thank senator thune for offering this amendment. i know that the crp program is especially important to you and to south dakota as it is in my state of kansas. as a matter of fact, i was one of the original co-sponsors of the conservation reserve program back in the day. i am concerned about the effect of such drastic changes to the current policy, especially in light of the rental rate reduction and the underlying bill. now, having said that, i am going to recognize senator stabenow for a suggestion. >> well, mr. chairman, first of all, i think the thune amendment has a lot of provisions that i agree with and that i would support, and i think -- i would suggest that we work together on the floor to find a modified way to be able to move forward. in its entirety, it would change the balance of what we're trying to do, but there are important provisions that i would agree with in terms of how this has

been operating. and so, i don't know if senator thune, if you want to go ahead with a vote at this point, or certainly, we could work together as well. either way, go -- >> i would just add that you have the commitment of both senator stabenow and myself to work together on the floor to get this amendment worked out. >> mr. chairman, the only thing i would say, based on my observations about the floor these days is it's unlikely that we're going to get to a lot of amendments, and this is what happened in 2014 on the last farm bill. we got to the floor and the amendment process got shut down. the only way i think that this could get adopted on the floor is if you all were willing to accept it in the form of a manager's amendment, or perhaps we end up in an open process where we can offer amendments, but i don't, like i said, based on our recent experience, i'm not sure that's going to happen. these are very, like i said, the groups out there who would be most impacted by this support this. the number in the house bill on

crp acres is 29 million acres. and the rental rate goes down to 80%. we keep it at 88.5% for continuous sign-up acres and go to 85% on other crp acres. but in addition to raising the cap a little bit, which only goes part way to where the house is -- i mean, the house is at 29%. we'd be at 26.25% under this. is these changes in the management practices, which i frankly think are long overdue. so, if you're willing to work with me to get it in, you know, as a part of a manager's package when we go to the floor, that would be one thing, but i'm not sheer a commitment to allow this on the floor is something that either of you may be in a position to offer up. >> senator stabenow. >> mr. chairman, just one further thing. we don't know exactly how the process will be on the floor, certainly, but i would say that just for the record, the

wildlife organizations are not uniformly for this. i mean, there's differences of opinion that i would like to see worked out. and so, at this point, i appreciate very much what you're saying. i can't support this at this point as it is written, and we can continue to see if there are pieces of it that we can include. >> senator klobuchar. >> yeah, mr. chairman, for senator boozman, i just want to clarify, there's a middle ground here. it was 3 billion for cotton, but paid for, as you point out. so, the dairy number wasn't 3 billion, though it was $1 billion. so, we'll continue to work with you. thank you. >> what was the question, mr. chairman? >> do you wish to proceed with a voice vote on this or -- >> well, again, i'm not sure

which wildlife organization senator stabenow was referring to. we have ducks unlimited, pheasants forever. we worked closely in the past with the haying and grazing provisions with the wildlife federation. so, to my understanding and knowledge, those groups are supportive of what we're trying to accomplish here with respect to these changes in the management practices on crp acres. >> just to say, we've recently received authentication from the national wildlife federation that they are not supportive, so that's what's raising concerns for me. >> let me just say that despite our best efforts, senator stabenow and myself can't guarantee certainty on the floor, but it is our intention to work with you to see if we can't continue to address the concerns that the senator has,

senator stabenow. and i want to say i'm concerned about the effect with regards to the rental rate reduction in the underlying bill. i appreciate the senator for working so hard on this, and i think most of his legislation is certainly meritorious. senator, it is up to you. would you like a vote? >> well, mr. chairman, if you're willing to, when we get to the floor on this, consider some of these changes, if there's a change that we can make that, you know, in the past, like i said, wildlife federation has been supportive of most of the things that we have tried to do when it comes to these contracts, to get this flexibility, i'd be willing to work with you on that. i have been trying for years to get usda to change this midcontract management practice, which to me absolutely makes no sense why you would have to destroy or burn what is very

valuable hay, particularly in years when it has great value for people who need it in a drought. so, to me, the limit or the cap is one issue, but the flexibility is the other. so, if the chairman's willing to work with us on the floor -- >> i am certainly willing, and i would just say that kansas experienced a wildfire, 835,000 acres, and now we're in the middle of a drought just as you are up north, but i am certainly willing to do exactly that. >> all right, well -- >> and i know that senator stabenow does as well. senator hoeven. >> mr. chairman, i'd like to express my support for the amendment and certainly hope that something can be worked out on the floor as well. >> i appreciate your comment, sir. >> all right, i will, with that assurance and commitment, mr. chairman, i'll withdraw the amendment here. >> i appreciate that, senator thune. >> thank you. >> any other amendment in title

two? saved the best for last. title one. >> mr. chairman? >> that's the intent, if i can -- >> mr. chairman? >> here we go. >> mr. chairman? >> senator thune. >> title one. and i'm sure you're tired of hearing from me on this, but i think as you and senator stabenow know, we've been trying for some time to find a way, and i've been working with senator brown on legislation that would make the art program workable.

i'm disappointed that we haven't been able to do that, as i expressed in my opening statement. if you look at the entire nation after the 2014 farm bill, 77% of farmers in this country adopted the art program. and i think the reason for that was because it provides both price protection and protection for production losses as well. and so, we don't -- we will not have now going forward a program in title one that provides revenue protection, that provides protection not only against price loss but also production loss. and i think that's unfortunate. we tried as recently as last night, trying to get scores from cbo. we didn't get scores until late last night on several proposals that we had to try and make the art program workable. we think they're common sense changes, but we have not been

able at this point to come up with an amendment that we think gets the job done. so, i want to continue to revisit this issue. i've felt for some time, too, that we need to make some changes in the commodity title. one of the ways that we had proposed paying for this was with a base update, which again, you know, we have thousands of acres of land that haven't been cropped for years or even decades, and some of that land is planted to grass, hay, or graze, yet is earning commodity title payments. and with the limited funding in this farm bill it makes sense in my view, at least, to target funds to where they really need to go, and that's to those who are actually farming the land. but again, because we have been unable in a short amount of time since the bill's introduction to the mark-up, to get scores from cbo to put us in a position to offer an amendment that we think would pass and actually

accomplishes the desired goal. i'm not going to offer the amendment. that was thune amendment number 12. so, i say that, withdraw it, and again, express my disappointment that we were unable in the base bill to get something adopted that would keep that program, which was chosen by 77% of the farmers in this country, in place, because i think it's going to be something that they will miss. >> thank you. senator brown? >> in the interest of time, i'll simply associate myself with senator thune's comments and appreciate the work he's done on this for title one. we need to continue these market-oriented reforms and hope we can move forward and get this discussion, turn it into real language on the floor. so, thank you. >> i know senator thune and senator brown have been working extremely hard to improve the agriculture of this coverage program. it is a much-needed program.

in kansas, 75% of our farmers chose plc. i have a feeling that since that was during what we call the good times in agriculture, and the arc program protects revenue that perhaps with the way the prices are today, farmers might want to at least consider the poc program. i've heard the calls for the program from both of these senators and have tried to work together to incorporate as many of the proposed changes as possible into the mark. the mark includes multiple improvements to arc, including increases the substitute yields to 75%, requires the use of trend-adjusted yields and several technical changes. i do have concerns with the

far-reaching impacts of changes to the price law's coverage, reference prices. i would have to oppose the amendment in its current form, but i understand your primary focus is improving arc, and i share your concern in that regard. i'd like to continue to work with you as we head to the senate floor to consider further changes to commodity programs that provide producers more certainty and predictability. so, i appreciate the senator withdrawing the amendment. i would only add that in its current form, kansas would lose 436,000 acres in their acreage base with the kansas bankers association estimates that would reduce land values by 20%. and the same thing would happen in oklahoma and other areas of the high plains. i think texas is over a million, and then it spreads around to the southern states. it gets back to i think one of my original comments that i hope

that we can improve all programs but not at the expense of others. with that, i look forward to working with senator thune and senator brown to see what we can achieve. any further amendments? i note that a reporting quorum is present. if there is no further debate or amendment, i move that sv-4032 be reported favorably as amended. is there a second? >> second. >> all in favor, signify it by saying aye. all those opposed saying no. does anybody wish a roll call vote? given this situation, why don't with ask the clerk to call the roll.

is she going to call the roll? pardon me? the vote is on final passage. senator grassley, do you -- i think your amendment was not in final form. at least, that is my understanding. i'm sorry for that. >> i had to rewrite the amendment this morning a little bit to satisfy you, and it's not -- we don't have the 45 copies available -- >> happy to work with you on the floor, sir. >> so, go ahead and vote. >> is it that you don't have copies? >> i note that a reporting quorum is present. there is no further debate or amendment. i move that sv-4042 be approved favorably as amended. the clerk will call the roll. >> senator stabenow. >> yes.

>> senator leahy? >> aye. >> senator brown. >> aye. >> senator klobuchar. >> aye. >> senator bennet. >> aye. >> senator gillibrand. >> aye by proxy. >> senator donnelly. >> aye. >> senator heitkamp. >> aye. >> senator casey. >> aye. >> senator smith. >> aye. >> senator mcconnell. >> aye by proxy. >> senator boozman. >> aye. >> senator hoeven. >> aye. >> senator ernst. >> aye. >> senator grassley. >> no. >> senator thune. >> aye. >> senator daines. >> aye. >> senator perdue. >> aye. >> senator fischer. >> aye. >> senator hyde-smith. >> aye. >> chairman roberts. >> aye. >> that's 20 ayes, 1 no.

>> the noes are 1 -- i beg your pardon, the ayes are 21 and the noes are 1. the bill is to be reported to the senate favorably as amended. >> 20. >> all right. one more change. the ayes are 20 and the noes are 1. the bill is ordered reported to the senate as mended. i ask unanimous consent that for reporting, the staff be authorized to make technical clarifying and conforming changes that are appropriate. seeing no objections, so ordered. i want to really thank my colleagues for joining in this important process today p.m. i ask unanimous consent to submit to the record letters of support from stakeholders urging committee action on this issue and support for the substitute amendment as well as member statements for the record. i would simply add, this is not

the best possible bill, but rather, this is the best bill possible. i am proud and stand by the work conducted here at the committee. i thank the distinguished ranking member. i thank all members in attendance. conducting legislative work through regular order and utilizing the committee process in a bipartisan and transparent manner. this hearing is now adjourned.

>> great work, everybody. great work.

>> congratulations.

. . . . . .

>> it's pretty simple. you have to be actively engaged in farming. that's a legal firm. >> i understand that part, but how would you make sure -- sounds like you were interested in placing limits on the $250,000 tax. >> one manager who's married. two can be married. >> yeah, yeah. in other words, how many people does it take to run a farm? >> good questions. i wouldn't know. >> you can understand -- >> i understand what you're saying, right. >> if you're one person, there's a loophole. might as well bring in all my cousins so they can get a

maximum of $250,000. >> as i recall during the last -- 2014, you were interested in placing a partner cap on the $250,000. is that right? >> that's in the law right now. >> okay. >> we don't have to change that. just got to make sure it's not abused. there was -- printer didn't get it here. see, we had to -- there was a technical change that had to be changed this morning as far as the lawyers telling us that. so getting that done and getting it printed. yes. >> rules were going into -- >> do you know if someone in the house will -- >> it's just the opposite in the house. they've taken all limits that are even in the law today off. so you could be a wall street banker and buy a farm, or be invested in farm and get

advantage of it. >> so i think congressman meadows is going to introduce something similar, but it got flopped. >> the rules committee wouldn't let it come up, because it passed the house last year. >> does that hurt the chances of securing it in the conference bill? >> when you get screwed like we did last year in conference, you got both bills the same in both houses, the rules are you aren't supposed to change it. but three of the conferees don't like the limits because they are taking advantage of them. >> thank you. >> thank you. here's what's coming up today on c-span3.

next, state and local officials testify about election security preparations ahead of the fall midterms. after that, commerce secretary wilbur ross explains the administration's trade tariffs plan to a senate committee. then a review of the recent medicare trustees report and the future of that program. primetime programming starts at 8:00 with a hearing on cambridge analytica and facebook data programs. this afternoon president trump speaks about immigration and border security. we'll have live coverage beginning at 2:30 eastern on c-span, also on c-span.org, or listen on the free c-span radio app. >> president trump's pick to lead the veterans affairs department, robert wilkie, will testify wednesday before the senate veterans affairs committee. live coverage begins 2:30 p.m. eastern on c-span3, also online at c-span.org. you can listen with the free

c-span radio app. >> the c-span bus is traveling across the country on our 50 capitals tour. the bus is on its 38th stop in juno, alaska, asking folks what's the most important issue in alaska? >> and what i think is the most important issue facing alaska right now is we are in the middle of a budget crisis. we're used to having a lot of oil money come in, and as a result of lower oil prices, we aren't getting that revenue that we're used to, so there are other revenue streams that need to happen, but it doesn't seem to be happening very fast, and i think there's political reasons why people are afraid or worried about implementing taxes, but without an additional revenue coming in, the alaskans are facing a lot of crisis in a lot of areas, and one is the opioid and substance abuse crisis. the more our economy goes down, the more and more people get upset and aren't living their lives in a way they are happy with, so they end up getting

kind of destitute and turning to self medicating and that's a big crisis, too. >> i think the most important issue is child hunger and taking care of children. it's all linked to poverty. we were at 20% a few years ago, we went down and now we're going way back up. we have to stop giving all our money to the oil companies and start spending it on children for the future. >> one of our big issues here in the state is the tourism industry. it is a huge chunk of our economy, and it's growing by leaps and bounds. we're very concerned about the ability to promote juneau and the state at a nationwide level, especially since tourism and visitor industry is such a bright spot in our economy. >> as far as i can see from i've been here a week in alaska, and one of the big social service

issues that i see here in alaska is homelessness and they are trying to combat it, seems to be a real issue with the city, since a lot of them aren't actively seeking help, but the ones that are seem to be moving from place to place looking for the different type aid that they can get. but it seems like one of the big issues is that homelessness and how we can combat it and fight it here in the state. >> i'm the executive director of the alaska council of school administrators, and from our perspective, the most important thing in alaska is to get a long-term sustainable fiscal plan in place for our state, which has ongoing revenue outside of our nonrenewable resources. and really, primarily, because we need to stabilize education across the state. our educators need to feel that their funding, which is a constitutional duty in alaska, is stable, so that they can

stabilize their schools and most important i think for all of us is to educate our students. and the best way to do that is a stable school. >> be sure to join us july 21st and 22nd when we'll feature our visit to alaska. watch "alaska weekend" on c-span, c-span.org, and listen on the free c-span radio app. a senate committee recently held a hearing looking at election infrastructure security and preparedness leading up to this fall's midterm elections. state and local officials talk about steps they were taking to secure the election process, including testing their infrastructure, creating back-up paper ballots, and boosting cybersecurity.