Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2005 - Continued

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
Sept. 14, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005-CONTINUED

Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. Mr. President, I commend Senator NELSON on this issue and thank Senator STEVENS for his efforts.

This amendment represents the first step in correcting an injustice. That injustice is the lack of meaningful disaster relief for the farmers, ranchers, and growers of Florida.

Agriculture is the second largest generator of income in Florida. It is responsible for $7 billion in cash receipts and accounts for a total of $60 billion in total economic impact.

Mr. President, 44,000 farmers and growers produce 280 different crops ranging from tropical fruits to winter vegetables to greenhouse and nursery products to aquaculture and honey and more.

The twin disasters of Charley and Frances devastated a significant portion of this economic sector. Preliminary estimates indicate more than $2 billion in damage to Florida agriculture.

Some growers were hit twice; before they could determine their initial losses, they lost the rest of their crops. It may take months to determine the final cost of these storms. The ground first must dry out before growers can learn if they will be able to plant and harvest a crop this year.

The growers and their families need help now. Yet today's request from the administration contains no aid for them.

Between fiscal year 1989 and fiscal year 2003, Congress added $49.2 billion to USDA programs. Of that amount, $21.4 billion went for market loss payments to compensate for low prices, and $17.9 billion went to crop disaster payments to producers who suffered a natural disaster crop loss.

In the past, the Senate has responded when our farmers and ranchers were in need. We again must respond in an appropriate way by providing the aid that is contained in this amendment.

I want to commend those officials who have been trying to help Florida agriculture since Hurricane Charley first hit the State. Dedicated public servants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have been assessing the damage and directing farmers to available assistance programs. The private sector has worked long hours to minimize the damage. Producers who may have suffered only minor losses are helping their neighbors who are not as fortunate.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture as always is using its resources to aid the victims of these disasters. Additional funds are necessary to begin recovery operations. Yet, those funds were not included in the administration's recent request.

I want to explain why these funds are necessary. Some natural disasters destroy crops. These hurricanes have destroyed more than crops. For example, nurseries and greenhouses collapsed or were crushed by the storms. Replacing a structure is more difficult and costly than just replacing plants.

Consider the citrus industry. In some groves, you can walk from end to end and never touch the ground because it is covered with fallen grapefruits. Next year, another crop may grow, but the grove's owners, and their families, need help today. Even worse, the storms destroyed thousands of citrus trees. It takes 5 years for a new tree to produce fruit and seven years for it to turn a profit.

We are approaching that time of year when people throughout the country order and send gifts of Florida citrus. Its been estimated that packing houses and related businesses could lose as much as $100 million from the storms. Consider the impact on the workers in these facilities.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the sod industry in Florida has suffered $300 million in losses. Many of the sod farms are flooded, and too much water is not good for sod.

Florida's cattle and calving operations generate more than $370 million in cash receipts. The storms destroyed fences and dumped debris on grazing lands. Florida calves are fed and grow at feedlots in other parts of the country.

Consider the plight of the winter vegetable growers. Many in Florida began preliminary planting before the hurricanes hit. Existing programs do not cover their pre-planting costs. They must plant by a certain date to be eligible for aid. If the ground is too wet and they can't plant in time, they suffer twice-the lack of a cash crop and the lack of disaster aid.

The amendment does not ignore the human side of agriculture. It includes funds to assist groups that provide emergency services to the many people who work on farms where crops have been destroyed. Many farm workers have lost their jobs. They also have seen their homes destroyed, or they find themselves without water or power.

I realize that the preliminary estimates of $2 billion in losses will be reduced, once insurance and other payments are taken into account. But the need exists today.

The transmittal letter for the emergency supplemental asked Congress "to limit this emergency request to those items directly related to the recovery efforts from the impact of these recent major disasters." This amendment meets this requirement.

After a more detailed examination of the damage, we may have a need for additional funds for agriculture assistance. That is why I consider this amendment to be just an important first step but not the final step toward the goal of helping the farmers, ranchers, and producers of Florida.

BREAK IN TEXT
Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. I strongly support the amendment. We have had too much classification of material, which has had the result of making us less secure, not more secure. The expert opinion of people like General Scowcroft ought to be made available to the American people and the Congress so it can be used as we attempt to construct systems that will make us safer.

There is no reason for the extensive classification process used in this administration, ranging from the Scowcroft report to the classification of 27 pages of our Senate-House joint inquiry relating to the role of foreign governments in assisting the terrorists. This would be a good place to start. The American people will be safer by our actions.