Helping Florida's Orange and Citrus Farmers

Floor Speech

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Ms. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, my home State of Florida is well known for the best tasting orange juice that I am fortunate to have grown up drinking, and we sell that orange juice across our great country. But today, our citrus farmers and orange industry are experiencing a crisis unparalleled to anything we have seen in the last century.

Citrus greening--an invasive disease that ravages citrus plants--has steadily taken its toll on Florida citrus, and it is spreading to other States, too. That is why I am proud to support the Emergency Citrus Disease Response Act, which would allow citrus growers to deduct the cost of replacing lost or damaged citrus plants from their taxes.

This Congress must work together across party lines to do all we can to help Florida's orange and citrus farmers. This legislation will help them afford the new trees they need to restore our citrus crop so we can all keep drinking the best orange juice ever.

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