With each one of you to try to craft a longterm piece of legislation to guide our nations farmers and ranchers and give them the certitude they need. My home state is the home of over 48,000 farms, and we have over 1 billion in farm exports a year. So this is a pretty big deal to us. Im honored they gave me an opportunity to be here and work on it. We strongly prefer to keep the usda food safety and Inspection Service catfish inspection program. In addition, the setting of target prices, which are vital to many alabama farmers. I also support giving the livestock industry relief from the troublesome mandatory country of origin labeling mandates. The negotiations we face will be tough, and i am certain that not any conferee is going to go home with everything they want. But its important that we be responsible stewards of the taxpayers dollars by maintaining the programs that are working and reforming those that dont. I believe we can work through these differences in a timely and bipartisan manner to achieve real results that will help our agriculture industry over the next five years. Hopefully our efforts will demonstrate that congress can function on behalf of the greater good of our nation, and i look forward to working with each of you be. With that, i yield back. Gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, senator brown. I thank you very much, mr. Chairman. I appreciate the leadership of senator stabenow, senator cochran and the doggedness of chairman lucas. The act of 2013 is a bipartisan reform bill that provides tangible and Workable Solutions that continue our commitment to the hungry, to Rural Communities and the land and saving taxpayers 24 billion. Over the past two years, ive held a series of round tables, perhaps two dozen of them, in ohio where ive asked farmers to tell me what this years farm bill should look like. Ohios farmers did more than give opinions. They came up with specific answers, gave me insight and guidance and valuable suggestions. They told me that they dont need and dont want direct payments, so i worked with my friend senator thune to improve the safety net and ensure farm production and planting decisions are determined by the market and not by the government program. Simply put, ohios corn and soybean farmers must have a program that decouples target prices from planted acres. Thats why i strongly support the senates commodity title. Senates Rural DevelopmentEnergy Titles provide the mandatory funding and reforms needed to ensure that our nations Rural Communities have the tools they need to succeed. The bill incorporates many portions of the local farms, food, and jobs act that will promote and increase local Food Production and sales. The bill also rightly links taxpayer support for Crop Insurance to farmers Land Management practices and reduces premium support for those farmers who net over 750,000 per year. These are conservation practices that as senator harkin said most farmers are already doing. This is good bipartisan work. I expect we can resolve the differences around these farm programs. We always work these differences out in farm bills bipartisanly. What im most concerned about is whether the house that the house cuts to s. N. A. P. Funding will prevent us from completing work on the farm bill that americas Rural Communities need. The houses indiscriminate s. N. A. P. Cuts would harm literally millions of children and seniors and those with disabilities and many of those who hold lowincome jobs and veterans. The houses provisions will cut s. N. A. P. Payments simply because there arent enough jobs out there. Is that the kind of nation we are . Are these the kinds of policies we need . Is that what we stand for . Our farmers feed the world. Theyre proud to do that. But the house is seeking to break a decades old bond between farmers and those americans who are hungry. I look forward to working with my fellow conferees on a bill that follows the senates title one reforms, that strengthens the farm safety net and that reaffirms this committees long, bipartisan tradition of farm and food policy. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Senator yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota, mr. Wallace. Thank you, chairman and to our Ranking Members, to all my colleagues for getting us to this point. Id like to thank the staffers who for years have also worked to bring this and make it possible. And to those stake holders. This is truly a unifying piece of legislation, always has been and will be again. I think listening to the chairwoman a unified conference with a unified bill will go at least a little ways toward bringing back some faith and restore the american publics faith that we can govern. And we are a people of vision. Were a people of big vision. We think big ideas. This farm bill doesnt have to be the exception to that. We can solve the things we need to solve, but i think we need to look down the road. This bill gives us that opportunity. We have to look at those programs that support economic promise, Economic Growth. One of those last year, Renewable Energies on track to average 8. 3 growth. Those represent tens of thousands of american jobs. We spend over 1 billion a day importing oil from countries that hate us. Theyll hate us for free. Keep those jobs in janesville, minnesota. Keep it on the land where we have things going. In the energy title, the demand far outstrips the supply. We have thousands of people waiting. When the market is fair and open, our producers are trying to access that. Theyre trying to do that. And so i encourage my colleagues to look what our colleagues in the senate did and get mandatory funding to this. It will come back to us economically. It will come back to us in jobs and national security. We also have to look long term in demographics. 9 billion people on the planet soon. Thats a 60 increase in food that we need to have. The American Farmer averages 57 years old. The average web producer is a little under 35. You cant eat websites. Weve got folks that are coming that are going to have to do that. Our policies make a difference on whos on the land. So i encourage my colleagues in both the house and the senate we have robust beginning farmer and rancher legislation that focuses on education and building the capacity for the future. It also does some smart things to have set asides in some of these programs to make sure a new person on the land can access those things. I would certainly encourage us to come together. Were very close on that. Keep those programs in there. Once again, that builds our capacity for the future. In looking at capacity for the future, the land is our truly great resource. Our producers are some of the best stewards of the land. But just like in all other things, we need to give them the tools they need to preserve that land. We need to make sure that conservation title is fully funded and we look visionary on those working lands to make sure were not making the choices for those producers. They have the right to make the choice that works best for them. But make it both economically smart and people have proven they will take advantage of that. I would like to compliment my colleague from south dakota, who has worked with us on sod saver legislation that i think is visionary on lands that havent been broken yet. Save 200 million. And also let us look at a whole other side industry on the land. Outdoorsmen, hunters, fishermen, people who take advantage of that. Its a 3. 5 billion industry in minnesota alone. We can come to compromises. We can have vision. We can think big. We can compromise. We can clothe the world. And we can fuel the world if we get our work done here. I would agree with my colleagues on this. We have no choice but to get this right. We have no choice but to come together. The good news is once we do it, the producers will do what they do best, feed, clothe, and fuel the world. I yield back. Gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the distinguished je nan from arkansas, senator bose man. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Im sure that youre all as relieved as i am to be here today, beginning a conference process that will complete the work of a farm bill that will continue providing the American People with the safest, most affordable, most reliable food supply that the world has ever known. The path has not been easy, and we still have some differences to work out, but this is the work that must be done. Rural america, our farmers, fa ranchers, forestry, stake holders, manufacturers, retailers and the most vulnerable members of our communities are counting on us to provide the five years of certainty they need to plan for the future. Of equal importance the immaterial pact this legislation has on our economy. In arkansas, agriculture provided over 17 billion in value added to our states economy in 2011. It makes up more than 16 of arkansass gdp. Arkansass agriculture is diverse. And we are in the top 25 states of production in 24 different commodities including rice, honey, and corn for blueberries. Our nation, as a whole, has even more diversity in crops with grow. Whether its cherries in michigan, wheat from the great plains, peanuts from oklahoma in georgia actually, you can get peanuts from arkansas now or dairy from minnesota. This diversity requires a day versz set of Risk Management tools that meet the challenges that all of our producers face for every crop and region. Crop insurance is an important tool for our farmers to manage the risk, but its not the only one. Other tools must be responsive from shallow losses and cognizant of deep to invest in the future, enable the next generation to enter farming and to provide opportunities for our veterans to work the land. We need to make sure that our research and Scientific Infrastructure is strong to protect our families and crops from bacteria, weather and disease. We need to make sure that our programs protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities maintain integrity and the support of the public while meeting the needs of those that theyre designed to serve. We started this process years ago. And looking back, our differences are much greater than they are today. Congressman lucas and Ranking Member senator peterson as well as the members of both committees, we are much closer to our goal of the fiveyear reaut riization of our critical programs ensuring Food Security for the most vulnerable families. I know that we will succeed in our efforts and i look forward to working with all of you to resolve any differences that may remain in doing the work thatfa agriculturers so deserve. Mr. Conaway . Thank you, mr. Chairman. Nchtsd. I also want to let everyone i appreciate my colleagues in both chambers who have worked so hard to get us to this point, particularly the chairman, whos been challenged like j,obe in the old testmente. First, we are running and accumulating we are running dangerous deaf sits or accumulating debt that will never get paid off. Cutting the budget needs to be one of our highest priorities. Both have worked on legislation that deals with this issue in a small way to reduce plant spending over the life of this farm bill. The trouble is, even if we do pass this farm bill with significant savings, were a very small slice of a huge budget problem. I am hopeful that other committees in congress will be able to follow the lead that both agriculture committees have set and followed our example. Second, we better not screw up Crop Insurance. Crop insurance has already been reduced by some 17 billion in spending since 2008. For my money, thats enough. Crop insurance is about all my cutting farmers have left. Everyone insurance proposal has been cut during these negotiations. So that is a foolser rand. Third, we need a very strong commodity title. Weve gotten this far in the farm bill process with zero thanks to the groups weve recklessly obsessed during this issue. They also need to know that they both use plants and acres while capping them at different levels. Why are both chambers taking this approach . Because were tired of paying people who are not even farming. Both bills address this probably by letting farmers grow whatever they want. We want to plak sure that the farm bill benefit that follow that is decision. We know from the official Economic Analysis that congress relies on this approach results in infinitesimal effect on planning decisions. About one tenth of one percent. We know that every single option on the table is treated the same desz piet the ret ricket to the contrary. No option has any advantage over any other options. If price loss ratios do not pay out, the shallow loss programs will then be the targeted programs by the wt or brazil or perhaps others. With all due respect, farmers groups are building a case for wto challenge against our countrys foreign policies are not exactly exercising the wisdom of solomen. Im not so much concerned about the plant spending that will be reduced, as is getting policy that is promote work and dignity in this effort. The house bill would return a food stamp policy to work in order to self food stamp benefits. I recognize that perception sometimes trumps reality to this town. But i hope we can settle while asking people to work the return for Food Stamp Programs is not any form of cruel or unusual punishment. The dignity of work has long been a common theme throughout all the ages. Finally, throughout the conference, ill be working to avoid facing undue regulatory burdens. Rep zen tich costa is to finally put the gypsa debate to rest, which as we now understand being a pretty fouled experiment. I look forward to a success chl treatment of this farm bill as we move forward in the next five years. The gentleman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentle lady from minnesota. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, i want to first thing our incredible chairman, senator stabinaw. Shes just bringing us together. Hundreds of votes on the senate floor. We did this the right way. Chairman lucacsa, any friend of is a friend of mine. And, of course, representative peterson, when i first started running for the u. S. Senate, i called representative peterson and asked if hed sit down with me for half an hour. I drove four hours and he sat down with me for two hours and i had all of my charts and he finally just said put those away. All the farnlers want is a fair deal and stability and theres about 11 people in the country that really understand this and ten of them live in north dakota. I did that for you, hogan. And i quickly realized the other person was colin peterson. No matter where i go in our state, im always reminded of the Critical Role that agriculture plays on our economy. Minnesota is number one in turkeys. Were excited about thanksgiving. We are number one in sweet corns and green peas and oats and we are number three in soybeans and number four in corn. We are also the home of some major Agricultural Committee that is care about this bill. Coops like chs and landolakes. So it malters to our entire state. Being home last week, i think many of us learned that American People are sick and tired of people standing in the opposite corners of the boxing ring swinging punches. This is our opportunity to get something good out of the chaos to move forward and to do something good for the country. Issues that i care about, first of all, something many people have raised, signed a bill in 24 billion in debt reduction. We see people that are not everyone from farm country looking at these bills. I think thats key. Third, we have streamlined the conservation programs from 23 to 13. Our numbers are very similar. I think thats important. Representative walls and i introduced the senate thats in our bill that were proud of. Recognition of the importance of crop ininsurance to the program with the support of many groups, ingluding the narnl farmers union, National Corn growers. It was quite a group. And we look forward to working with the house on that. I know senator hogan will address some of the work weve done with conservation challenges like flooding. We also have limited dreblgt pachlts. Weve formed the Commodity Program by strengtsenning some of the payment limits to make sure that the people eligible are farmers. Not urban million theirs. And i and i also strongly support Renewable Energy as we look at our successful, reduced dependence on foreign oil. From 6 to40 . Theres something about biofuel that is have been very important to this change. The importance of the snap program. Especially important is hardworking families and seniors still need to put food on the table. As you know, the senate needed muchneeded reforms to the bill. We looked forward to working with you on this but i dont think is this is the time to make deep, deep cuts to the program. Im just end with this, a call that i just got into my office over the weekend. And a guy named Greg Schwartz is a farmer down in lasora, minnesota. He was hard at work. He called from his combine. He left this message for us. We have been working on this farm bill for over two years now. We just want to get it done. Farmers are working around the clock on this years hashest. If you dont hear from us, its not guilty because we dont care. Its wauz we have work to do. I think greg is right. I think the members of this committee have work to do. Just as we have some deadlines coming in with the snows, we have a deadline. We want to get our bill done. We need to work as hard as those farmers and get something done for the people of this country. The gentle lady yields back. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Madame chairwoman, i appreciate the opportunity to be part of this conference. I can state as a relatively new member who makes up a third of the house of representative these days. The way we worked together, the deference we showed one another and the respect we showed one another was emblematic when i became a member of congress. Id like us to remember that. Theres a lot of way to get divided here. We have agreed on a great many things. Our Senate Colleagues and our house eluded to man