Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning. I want to welcome you all to today’s hearing examining how the tax code impacts American agricultural producers. Much like it did in 1985 and 1986, tax reform is poised to again consume much of Washington’s attention. Before that happens, today’s hearing will offer Members a baseline understanding of how the current tax code affects farmers, ranchers, and foresters, and how changes to the code might affect them going forward. Both the ranking membe...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s subcommittee hearing. Over the past several weeks, the Agriculture Committee has held a series of hearings in preparation for crafting the next farm bill. Through this, the Committee has examined the overall farm economy, reviewed the safety and soundness of the Farm Credit System, and heard from a broad constituency on nearly all aspects of the farm bill. These hearings have shown that producers nationwide have been experi...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning and welcome to today’s hearing. This hearing is a continuation of the series we have been holding over the past month in preparation for the next farm bill. Over the course of the next several months, we will be working to improve upon the 2014 Farm Bill and ensure the needs of not only American farmers and ranchers are being met, but that consumers will continue to benefit from sound and stable farm policy. Last week we heard from producers of corn...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning, and welcome to today’s committee hearing to review the Farm Credit System. Today’s hearing is titled a Review of the Farm Credit System but the objective is twofold. First, we hope to educate ourselves and the public on the history and purpose of the Farm Credit System institutions that provide vital credit to rural America. Since its inception over 100 years ago, the Farm Credit System has never wavered in its mission of providing credit to our ru...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning, and welcome to today’s Nutrition Subcommittee hearing on the future of SNAP. This hearing continues the Committee’s series to review current policy and set the stage for the next farm bill. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to be here, particularly our five witnesses for their participation and respective insights. The House Committee on Agriculture completed a comprehensive review of SNAP during the 114th Congress. Known as the Past, Prese...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: This is the first hearing of the General Farm Commodities and Risk Management subcommittee in preparation for the next farm bill. Over the course of the next year, we will be examining the policies under our jurisdiction so we can improve upon the 2014 Farm Bill and make sure that the needs of not only American farmers and ranchers are being met, but so that consumers will continue to benefit from a stable farm policy. In agriculture it is often said that “the c...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning and welcome to today’s hearing. This hearing continues our marathon series of hearings examining all aspects of the next farm bill. The focus of today’s hearing is on dairy policy. Dairy is a unique industry. It is present in all 50 states. Harvest occurs 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Milk is highly perishable. And, it’s processed into a range of products. These factors—combined with the fact that dairy markets are increasingly globally integra...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good afternoon, and thank you all for gathering here again this afternoon as the Committee continues its work to reauthorize the farm bill prior to its expiration next fall. Last month this subcommittee held a hearing on the importance of USDA’s trade promotion and market development programs and the benefits they bring to the agricultural sector as a whole. Today we will highlight a variety of issues facing the livestock industry. From wildfires across the Plai...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning, and welcome to today’s Nutrition Subcommittee hearing on food distribution programs. This hearing continues the Committee’s series where each subcommittee is undertaking a comprehensive review of the current farm bill as we move to draft the next. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to be here, particularly our witnesses for their participation and respective insights. USDA's food distribution programs—The Emergency Food Assistance Program, t...
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Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good afternoon. I want to welcome everyone to today’s Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee hearing. Today, we will continue our Farm Bill subcommittee hearings by discussing another important issue – our nation’s forests. Our nation’s forests are a great natural resource, and today we will examine Farm Bill provisions that work to ensure our national and private forests remain healthy and productive. While I may not have as many trees in my backyard as some of...
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