Remarks as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning. We meet again as our farmers and ranchers back home continue to face tough times. Whether it’s new pest and disease pressures, shortage in good labor, or a shorter list of reliable crop protection tools; the list goes on. An economy that is booming for so many others is still not providing much-needed relief for many in the ag... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning. Thank you Chair Spanberger for calling today’s hearing to review the implementation of conservation programs in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. Over the course of 2019, we heard from many producers about the benefits of conservation and the assistance they receive from conservation programs. I learned of the many innovative conservation pra... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning and thank you to Chair Spanberger for calling today’s hearing. Today, we are reviewing access to the nation's voluntary conservation programs. Over the last 20 years, Congress has made significant investment in these programs by providing our farmers and ranchers the tools necessary to protect and conserve not only their land, but their way of life. C... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Chairman Scott, thank you for calling today’s hearing, allowing the subcommittee to continue its review of credit conditions in rural America. Last month, we had the opportunity to hear from the Farm Credit Administration to review the safety and soundness of the Farm Credit System. We heard that farm debt is forecast to climb to near all-time highs, reminiscent o... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today. I look forward to hearing your testimony regarding international food assistance and development programs authorized in the Farm Bill and subsequent implementation by both USDA and USAID. This is our first hearing on international food assistance and agricultural development this Congres... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning. Thank you, Chairman Scott for holding today’s hearing. Our Committee has an obligation to proactively review the Farm Credit System to ensure its soundness. To help us do that today, we have brought representatives of the Farm Credit Administration, the independent agency tasked with regulating the Farm Credit Institutions, to ensure they fulfill the... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome, Ms. Earp. Thank you for taking the time to discuss the important work being done by your office – the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR). I want to first recognize your service to this country. You have dedicated yourself to the American people and the agencies that serve them for decades. You have been both... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to today’s hearing— to consider how we are currently safeguarding American agriculture from wild, invasive, and non-native species, and to discuss what steps we can take to improve these efforts. Invasive species pose a significant threat to the success of production agriculture and environmental stewardship. It is important... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Chairman Costa and Ranking Member Rouzer. I would like to touch on one of the more devastating examples of an invasive species that is currently affecting Texas and much of the country—feral swine. Farmers, ranchers, and landowners have been dealing with the destruction caused by wild pigs for decades. Most estimate that feral swine cause over $1.5 bill... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As many on this Committee know, reauthorizing the CFTC has been a longstanding goal of mine. The bill before us is a bipartisan bill, and I’m happy that we’re able to include important priorities for many of the members who ring this dais. I’d like to highlight two. Perhaps no issue is more central to the Commission’s ability to regulate t... Read more »
