FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2001
Contact: Drew Goesl 

Lincoln Tackles Rewriting Farm Bill in Senate

Washington – At a full U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee hearing today, Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) wasted no time addressing rewriting the Farm Bill, one of her top priorities since being elected to public office.

"I'm pleased that this Committee is on track to rewrite a new farm bill. It is high time we got to work on a new farm bill because, frankly, our rural communities are collapsing all over the country. Virtually every commodity is suffering and our farmers need some relief from the current farm bill," said Lincoln. "For almost six years, our farmers have labored under a farm policy ill-suited for the pressures that global markets and poor weather can exert. That's why, for each of the past three years, we have sent back to our farmers a multi-billion dollar emergency aid package."

With the U.S. Senate having recently undergone a historic shift in power giving Democrats the majority for the first time in six years, today's hearing was the first of its kind to specifically address the widespread problems and shortcomings of current Agriculture policy. Lincoln has made it a top priority since joining the Senate and remains committed to rewriting current agriculture policy in order to better address the needs of America's ailing framers.

"The next farm bill should be built on these lessons. Planting flexibility should be retained. Our farmers must have the power to choose what they grow and when they grow it. But this planting flexibility must be paired with some recognition that the policies of our trading partners can have as much affect on commodity incomes as any drought or flood," said Lincoln. "We must encourage the expansion of our overseas markets wherever and whenever we can. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am committed to lowering trade barriers and providing our farmers with the leverage they need to push the global commodities markets into the 21st century.

"We must also provide a solid, reliable safety net. With a strong safety net, our farmers, our rural bankers, and the rural economy that depends on them, will know they will have the support to weather the bad years. They will also know they can look to the coming years with confidence, rather than with fear and uncertainty.

"The next farm bill must also address other areas of importance for our rural communities. It should contain a strong forestry title that promotes sustainable forestry in this country. And it should recognize that our private forests provide everything from timber production, carbon sequestration, wildlife protection, recreation, and clean water. We need to remember that "tree" farmers are farmers too– it just takes longer to grow their crop.

"We should also remember the wisdom of conservation. Whether we're talking about our farmlands or our wetlands, we must help our rural communities protect against the damaging forces of erosion and over-use.

"Finally, we must look down the road to the long-term needs of rural development. Many small towns are missing the financial support to develop their resources. Often, the support we offer does no more than help them struggle from one crisis to the next. We must provide better support for these communities, so that they can build the necessary infrastructure to grow rather than just to survive,"said Lincoln.

Since her days in Congress representing Arkansas' 1st District from 1992-1996, Lincoln served on the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee for four years, and has served on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee since arriving in the Senate in 1998. With the Democrats' new majority in the Senate, Lincoln assumes the role of Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation and Rural Revitalization.