Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today issued the following statement of President Bill Clinton's decision to exercise his line-item veto over a provision of the balanced budget agreement that would benefit farmers: "I am a strong supporter of the line-item veto and have been for many years. I respect and defend the President's use of the line-item veto... Read more »
Stepping up their effort to counter new air quality regulations which could severly threaten agriculture, senior members of the House Committee on Agriculture are urging fellow lawmakers to support a bill (H.R. 1984) mandating a four-year mortatorium on the new regulations, which go into effect on September 16. Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Smith (R-OR), Vice Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX), an... Read more »
Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Dean of Oregon's Congressional Delegation, today praised a potentially historic budget agreemen between White House and congressional leaders, but reserved final judgement on the pact pending a closer examination of it's details. "I'm delighted that we have an agreement, which shows real courage and flexibility on bot... Read more »
Continuing his efforts to promote exports of U.S. farm products, Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would again extend an additional $25 million in GSM export credit guarantees and $20 million in P.L. 480 Title I Food for Peace Credits to Pakistan. Smith, who has made reducing non-tariff trade... Read more »
As fire fighters nationwide gear up for the 1997 forest fire season in the wake of last year's 96,000 forest fires, Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today said the U.S. Forest Service must place greater emphasis on managing forest resources to prevent catastrophic fires and avoid the use of prescribed fire in the high risk summer months. At a hearing to... Read more »
Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today pledged to fight an amendment, offered by Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy (D), to elimintate the Timber Purchaser Road Credit Program, saying the amendment would hurt rural counties and schools, citing a recent Price Waterhouse report which concludes that the credit is not a sibsidy and that it's elimination would h... Read more »
Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today praised the House of Representatives' passage of the Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery and Economice Stability Act (H.R. 858), saying local efforts to reach consensus can produce far greater results than bureaucratic paper shuffling in Washington. The bill, introduced by Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA), establishes a f... Read more »
On the heels of the congressional vote to continue China's Most Favored Nation (MFN) trading status, Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, met today with China's Ambassador to the United States and urged the Chinese Government to drop it's ban on Pacific Northwest wheat, as well as U.S. citrus, and to travel to the United States to examine Northwest wheat an... Read more »
Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today blasted reports that President Bill Clinton has endoresed new air quality standards, widely believed to be based on poor science and which prompted fierce criticism from within the Administration itself, which could have negative effects on agriculture and small business. On May 14, Chairman Smith, Committee Vice C... Read more »
Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, voted today to support continued Most Favored Nation (MFN) trade treatment for China, citing the importance of China trade to America's farmers and ranchers in light of a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report concluding American agriculture would lose billions in the absence of China MFN. "The Chinese market is... Read more »
