Press Release - The New Dust Bowl

Press Release - The New Dust Bowl

Enzi votes for federal drought disaster aid to help Wyoming farmers and ranchers

Wyoming farmers and ranchers are facing their own, new version of the Dust Bowl Americans endured during the early part of the last century. They should get federal aid just like residents in other parts of the country get when they experience disaster, according to U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., who voted for a bi-partisan drought aid amendment offered to the Agriculture Appropriations bill today.

"The effects of this years-long drought are not as sudden or dramatic as a hurricane or a raging flood, but there are people suffering and losing their livelihoods in the West and they should get the same consideration and assistance those affected by other types of disasters in other parts of the country have received," Enzi said. "I agree our budget and appropriations system is in need of major overhaul, but that was not a choice with this amendment. The question was do you support drought aid for Westerners or not. I do. This is emergency funding for an ag emergency and it's included in an ag appropriations bill, which is appropriate. This amendment increases the aid currently in the bill and helps cover more 2006 losses, which is most pertinent for Wyoming."

The amendment received 57 votes, which is three votes short of the necessary 60 needed to waive a point of order and keep it in the bill. Enzi hopes enough votes can be gained from senators who were absent to pass the drought aid in the future.

The amendment, sponsored by Kent Conrad, D-N.D., is based on S. 3991, a bill to provide livestock and crop disaster assistance for the last two years. The proposal originally only covered the sugar beet production loss in 2005, but per Enzi's request, 2006 was included in the amendment. This is especially important to Wyoming considering most of the state's sugar beet production loss was in 2006, according Enzi. In October Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns designated all Wyoming counties as drought disaster areas, making producers in the state eligible for various drought programs. Due to Wyoming being one of the primary states to experience production loss in sugar beets in 2006, the producers in the state will receive this separate agriculture disaster assistance. The amendment establishes a Livestock Compensation program to help cover increased feed expenses for producers in disaster counties designated by the Secretary of the Agriculture.

The amendment also includes $13 million for the Ewe Lamb Replacement and Retention program to strengthen the lamb industry by helping producers increase production of flock size.

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