The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S7589 on Dec. 17, 2020.
The Department is primarily focused on food nutrition, with assistance programs making up 80 percent of its budget. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department implements too many regulations and restrictions and impedes the economy.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS
The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:
POM-266. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress and the Louisiana congressional delegation to take such actions as are necessary to fully fund the Livestock Indemnity Program in response to the negative impact created by losses to the Louisiana livestock industry as a result of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 24
Whereas, Hurricane Laura made landfall along the coast of Louisiana on August 27, 2020, as a category four storm, becoming the strongest storm in Louisiana history and causing an estimated ten billion dollars in damage from the southwestern to the northern part of the state; and
Whereas, Hurricane Laura created an estimated one billion six hundred million dollar loss to the Louisiana agriculture industry, including a loss of one million eight hundred thousand dollars to the livestock sector alone; and
Whereas, an estimated one hundred one thousand poultry, one hundred thirty cattle, and a dozen horses died as a direct result of the storm and the extreme health and insect conditions that followed; and
Whereas, Louisiana was hit directly by Hurricane Delta on October 9, 2020, causing more catastrophic damage to many of the same areas of the state as Hurricane Laura; and
Whereas, Hurricane Delta likely created numerous additional losses to the Louisiana agriculture industry, including livestock, the extent of which will only be known after surveys and research of the industry can be conducted; and
Whereas, the 2014 Farm Bill authorized the Livestock Indemnity Program, within the United States Department of Agriculture, to provide benefits to eligible livestock owners or contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions, including adverse weather, disease, and attacks; and
Whereas, the United States Congress neglected to fund the Livestock Indemnity Program properly, creating a situation where Louisiana livestock producers are unable to utilize the program at a time when it is needed most to offset losses created by Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. Therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United States Congress and the Louisiana congressional delegation to take such actions as are necessary to fully fund the Livestock Indemnity Program in response to the negative impact created by losses to the Louisiana livestock industry as a result of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.
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POM-267. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass a stimulus plan that includes funds for unemployment, housing, local government, struggling businesses, education, and health care; to the Committee on Finance.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 30
Whereas, since surging around the globe into a worldwide pandemic earlier this year, the COVID-19 virus has taken an enormous economic and human toll across countries and continents, crippling heretofore healthy citizens and industries; and
Whereas, to help states with costs for COVID-19 mitigation and response measures, the United States Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act; and
Whereas, measures designed to protect the health and safety of Louisiana's populace from the COVID-19 virus have also had a negative impact on the economic fortunes of many of those same citizens through lost or reduced income from closures, capacity restrictions, and other public health measures; and
Whereas, the cost of this highly infectious pandemic to Louisiana businesses, citizens, and local and state government continues to rise; and
Whereas, the unprecedented number of unemployment insurance claims due to COVID-19 has drained the state's previously robust unemployment insurance trust fund; and
Whereas, local revenue collections have plummeted as economic activity has slowed, and as a result, local governments are struggling to provide crucial services; and
Whereas, already made vulnerable by lost jobs or decreased income from the COVID-19 pandemic, many Louisiana citizens face the prospect of housing insecurity as they struggle to provide a safe and secure place for themselves and their families to live while also maintaining basic services such as water, electricity, and food; and
Whereas, the federal government provided unemployment and housing assistance in its last COVID stimulus package, but there is a great need for further economic relief. Therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass a stimulus plan that includes funds for unemployment, housing, local government, struggling businesses, education, and health care; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.
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