On the heels of a request from Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today granted an additional $25 million--$50 million since May 29--in credit guarantees to Pakistan under the GSM-102 Export Credit Program, purchasing power the Pakistanis are expected to use for the purchase of soft white wheat. ON THE HEELS OF A ... Read more »
Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today intensified the Committee's scrutiny of forestry issues, opening comprehensive series of forest health hearings in June and continuing the Committee's effort to develop an objective, scientific evaluation of our nation's forests in preparation for potential forest health legislation. Opening the first of the Commit... Read more »
By signing up only 16 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Clinton Administration is failing to serve American farmers or the highly erodible and other enivronmentally sensitive lands CRP is designed to protect, Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, said today. Smith, who led congressional efforts to alleviate uncertainty for producer... Read more »
Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today strongly defended the U.S. Forest Service's Timber Purchaser Road Credit Program, as a key House Subcommittee met to evaluate a newly-released price waterhouse report concluding that the Road Credit Program is not a subsidy to timber purchasers. The report, prepared by Price Waterhouse and The Federal Budget Consul... Read more »
While problems exist and must be corrected, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is nonetheless working very well for American agriculture, Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, told the International Trade Commission (ITC) in testimony today. Smith, who has made reducing trade barriers and encouraging exports of U.S. farm products the highest pri... Read more »
Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today said good riddance to a controversial and ill-advised provision of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1997 (H.R. 1469) placing 14 million acre cap on the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), striking the cap from the bill on the House floor. "The Conservation Reserve Program is a tremendous success story; it des... Read more »
51 Members of Congress concerned about preserving and protecting agriculture have written Carol Browner, Administrator of the Enviornmental Protection Agency (EPA), urging that she shelve air quality standards which are based on poor science, citing the new rules' potentially negative impact on agriculture. "Please understand that, as representatives of residents living in rural areas, we want to ... Read more »
Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Congressman Richard Pombo (R-CA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, today praised the World Trade Organization's interim ruling against the European Union's ban on U.S. beef exports. Smith and Pombo commented at an Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry hearing on agricu... Read more »
U.S., Mexico Shows New Flexibility on Non-Tariff Trade Barriers, U.S. Citrus Gets New Access to Mexico: Market Opening Follows Agriculture Committee's April Trade Mission A renewed focus on the science of agricultural trade, first urged by Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Smith (R-OR) following the Committee's April trade mission to Mexico, has paid off for Florida and Arizona citrus producers, ... 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 agreement between White House and congressional leaders, but reserved final judgement on the pact pending a closer examination of its details. "I'm delighted that we have an agreement, which shows real courage and flexibility on bot... Read more »
