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[Page: S173]  GPO's PDF
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   Mr. MILLER. Mr. President, our farmers are hurting, and they are facing an uncertain future. They desperately need the stability this farm bill will offer them.

   Because we failed to act in December, many bankers are balking at issuing loans to farmers. The bankers want a guarantee that there will be a new farm bill this season, or, at the very least, a disaster relief package.

   And our farmers cannot operate without loans. Their livelihood depends on getting that bank loan each season. So, we've left them in limbo, anxiously awaiting our next move.

   That is why we must pass this farm bill as soon as possible.

   Remember, the 1996 farm bill didn't pass until April of that year, and it was still able to be implemented for that year's growing season. We will be able to do the same this year if we pass a bill early this spring.

   I worked hard on the Agriculture Committee to protect the interests of Georgia and the Southeast. The bill we came up with is good for Georgia. It provides more assistance for peanuts and cotton, and most Georgia agriculture groups had displayed a rare unity in rallying around it.

   We must pass this farm bill and get it to the President as quickly as possible. Our farmers and the rural areas they breathe life into cannot afford for us to put it off any longer.