Two years of inadequately covered
disasters is taking its toll on many
of our farmers. In the future, North
Dakota farmers need a plan that protects
them from inevitable hard times.
we must plan for disasters instead of
only reacting to them when they occur.
For the past two years, our delegation
has not been able to get a disaster
bill passed. The blame has been put
on the Republicans in the House and
on the president. The bill passed overwhelmingly,
however, in the Republicanled
Senate. The U.S. Senate has higher
representation for agricultural states
like North Dakota, because every state
has two senators. Representation in the
House, on the other hand, is based on
population and is much higher for those
in urban and suburban areas.
I believe it is our job to sell a new
plan for disaster assistance to Congress
and the president because the old approach
of tying it on to other bills is no
longer working.
Use energy
The new farm bill should have disaster
assistance and higher crop-insurance
coverage written into it. My plan is to
take production agriculture to the next
level where prices below cost of production
are a thing of the past. Here's
how:
* Create a National Security Initiative
for energy that works together with
the 2007 Farm Bill. Energy prices are
causing serious inflation throughout
our economy. America can and should
be the source for our energy needs, and
traditional petroleum products and biofuel
from America can meet this demand
at a lower cost to consumers and the
federal government. The economic activity
from increased domestic production
and transportation infrastructure
will help bring stability to agriculture
and the nation. our nation's whole economic
picture will improve dramatically
when our energy dollars are spent here
instead of overseas.
* Reduce restrictions on building
refineries and increasing domestic petroleum
production. we must be able
to meet petroleum demand by tapping
into our reserves on coastal waters and
in the Artic National wildlife Refuge, as
well as North Dakota's own oil and coal
reserves. Agriculture's biofuel future
depends on our freedom from dependency
on foreign oil, and consumers
need relief from escalating fuel and fertilizer
prices.
* Show Congress and the president
that they can fund disaster coverage
through savings of billions of dollars
as a result of higher demand for energy
commodities such as corn, soybeans
and canola. Increase in demand for
these types of commodities helps to
solve overproduction of other commodities.
Livestock producers benefit from
an abundant feed-byproduct supply.
To prepare for disasters, we should
use these potential savings to invest in a
disaster relief fund and offer affordable
insurance that matches cost of production.
Federal assistance for emergencies
can be provided quickly if the funding is
already available.
tax-free shelters
Environmental incentives promise to be
an increasing part of the next farm bill.
our farmers and ranchers need protection
from environmental mandates that
negatively affect production. Both grain
and livestock producers are threatened
by over-reaching national programs
that don't work for their local situations.
Farmer-initiated and controlled
conservation should be encouraged.
* Allow farmers and ranchers to put
a significant percentage of their annual
gross income into a tax-free shelter that
they could draw upon when a crisis
occurs or when opportunities arise. Due
to production fluctuations, the fact that
farmers cannot set their own price, and
that we are susceptible to surcharges
for transportation, we need this important
tool to help encourage savings for
hard times.
* Compensate farmers for losses
that occur when it floods after they plant
the same way we compensate them
when they can't plant because fields are
too wet. Excess water is costing North
Dakotans millions of dollars every year.
Farmers are now only covered on those
acres that are prevented from being
planted. Yields should be calculated on
only the harvested acres. Both farmers
and local suppliers of inputs like seed
and machinery are affected.
we need a solution to this problem.
If we cannot afford to properly compensate
farmers for losses due to flooding,
we should not be hindering their ability
to properly manage water.
* Address the needs of the livestock
producer. In some southern locations of
the United States, the demand for commodities
such as corn and soybeans is
much greater than here. This translates
into higher prices for commodities due
to the fact that they have a large number
of livestock to feed, which creates a
huge demand. we need to encourage
livestock production in North Dakota.
we must ensure that our livestock producers
maintain freedom to grow their
operations in a profitable way.
* Protect our biofuel, sugar and
livestock industries from unfair world
trade issues. Free trade as a whole is
beneficial, and I am a strong supporter.
Unfortunately, some industries become
negatively affected and need to be protected.
To help get our biofuel industry
strong, we need to encourage usage
from home, not overseas.
end crisis legislation
we have to stop legislating from crisis
to crisis. we need to be represented as
a people with a plan in order to regain
support from nonagriculture-centered
states as demonstrated last week in the
U.S. House. My approach will be based
on growing both food and energy, for
our farmers and for our national security.
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