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.
“DUST CLOUDS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H7404-H7405 on Sept. 22, 2004.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
DUST CLOUDS; NO RAIN
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, much of the central and western United States has been suffering from a grinding, unending drought that continues to harm farmers and ranchers and the rural communities in which they live. Compounding these losses is every disaster imaginable: hail, frost, tornado damage, and, yes, even flooding.
For nearly half of the 8 years that I have had the opportunity to represent Kansans in Congress, much of our State has been in a severe drought. It gives me no joy to speak before my colleagues tonight and describe the difficulties that Kansas farmers and ranchers are enduring. With a resolve that finds itself in the roots of a previous generation of hardy pioneers, they are struggling to survive.
The destruction from three hurricanes on homes, farms, businesses, schools, local economies, and, most importantly, the loss of life in Florida and other Gulf Coast States cannot be overstated. The people of Kansas mourn the deaths and support the rebuilding of lives and the reconstruction of those communities.
Adverse weather conditions have no respect for State lines and, unfortunately, Kansas and other central and western areas of the United States have been greatly affected by weather as well.
Mr. Speaker, I would much rather be standing here before you with the news that the drought has broken and that the rains have returned. I would love to describe the positive effects of crop revenues working their way through the local economy. This economic activity would energize struggling small businesses and, more importantly, restore hope in the faces and the lives of farmers and ranchers. But that is not the case.
It is difficult for many to understand the severity of this continuing drought and its effect on rural America. Beside me is a picture reminiscent of the 1930's dust bowl, where producers were uprooted from their farms while their precious topsoil blew away. But this picture was not taken in the ``dirty '30s,'' but rather in the drought of 2004.
The severity of these dust storms is evident in this picture, but there are tremendous costs elsewhere as well. Each year I travel through the counties of my district, 69 of them, and I meet with Kansans. There are many issues that threaten our way of life, including rising health care costs, the aging population and the general out-
migration of farm families. The average age of a Kansas farmer is 58\1/
2\ years old, and in many communities no young people are returning to farming because no money can be made.
Despite this, Kansas and other residents of the plains are resilient people who believe that hard work and persistence can overcome almost any obstacle. The people of my State take pride in being self-reliant and overcoming adversity on their own. However, assistance is needed today. By no means will these producers realize profits, but at least this assistance may allow some to stay in farming long enough to experience a good harvest. In the words of one of my farmers who contacted me, ``I just need to hold on that long. It can't stay dry forever.''
Talking about weather is not just polite conversation in Kansas, it is our way of life. Our farmers and ranchers risk their entire operations hoping for timely moisture. Unfortunately, many areas have not received these rains or have received them at the wrong time.
By looking at the U.S. drought monitor map we can see that much of the central plains and western region of our country have been in a severe drought. While conditions could be improving for our fall crops, the damage of multiyear drought has been done.
According to Kansas State University research, Kansas alone lost $1.1 billion to its economy in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, it is estimated that
$275 million was lost by our producers; and in 2004, wheat producers lost another $150 million. The majority of those losses, $82 million, occurred in northwest Kansas, which has had a drought for a solid 5 years.
These losses do not even begin to cover the cost to local business and other community organizations. Agriculture is the foundation of each rural community, and a bad harvest affects everyone from the car dealer to the home builder to Main Street grocery stores.
This drought has not gone unnoticed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By the end of 2003 and for most of 2004, every county in Kansas was designated either as a primary or secondary disaster county.
During my tenure on the Committee on Agriculture, we have worked to see that farmers and ranchers are treated fairly and that the U.S. can continue to provide enough food and fiber to be self-reliant.
As the chairman of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, I have worked to approve the availability and benefits of crop insurance, and I will continue this effort. But as of now, there is no insurance solution for multiyear losses.
I urge my colleagues in the House to support some form of disaster assistance. This funding will assist producers who have suffered yet another year of drought or other weather-related disasters. The timing of this assistance is crucial. Many producers simply will not survive one more crop disaster.
Rural America is the backbone of our country and provides many of the essential components to the economy. We have the opportunity to keep their dreams from being carried away by the Kansas winds.
____________________
SOURCE: NO RAIN
