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 »
Moving quickly to help farmers who face difficult planting decisions as a result of uncertainty surrounding sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the full House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed legislation to provide one-year CRP contracts to potential producers of fall-planted crops. The bill - H.R. 1342, which was introduced and shepherded by Agriculture Committee Cha... Read more »
Export tools such as the Export Enhancement Program (EEP) and the Market Access Program (MAP) are needed to ensure a level playing field in international markets, according to Rep. Bill Barrett (R-NE), Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities. Barrett, whose subcommittee held a joint hearing with the Subcommittee on Risk Management and Specialty Crops today, said ... Read more »
