Press Releases

Risk Management Agency’s administrator appears at September 18 subcommittee hearing

September 5, 2002 – General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has set a hearing in two weeks on the implementation of crop insurance reforms and the effectiveness of the federal crop insurance program with USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) Administrator Ross J. Davidson, Jr. testifying. Chambliss called the September 18 subcommittee hearing with the new administrator now in place to follow up on the status of crop insurance program reforms first reviewed in a February 13 subcommittee hearing.

“After we received an implementation report from RMA’s Acting Administrator during the Subcommittee hearing in February, we wanted to follow up with the new RMA Administrator once he settled into the position,” said Subcommittee Chairman Chambliss. “In addition to receiving a report of Agency activities, it is my hope that this hearing will illustrate how this risk management tool is working, where there is room for administrative and legislative improvement, and what steps are being taken to make the program more user-friendly.”

With coverage of new crops and lower premium costs to producers, coverage flexibility and strengthened taxpayer protection against fraud, crop insurance reforms authored by the House Committee on Agriculture became law on June 20, 2000 as the “Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000” (Public Law Number 106-224).

“Participation has shown a marked improvement through reforms this Committee made with producer recommendations,” said Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX). “With Saxby’s subcommittee examination, we will get the full story on implementation of reforms and effectiveness of federal crop insurance that will help producers and the taxpaying public.”

You can subscribe to receive emails of news releases from the House Committee on Agriculture.

###