The FY 2010 Budget Proposal

Proposals from the administration have many of my colleagues and I who represent rural areas very concerned. As you all know, the budget submitted by President Obama makes drastic cuts to farm program support by capping the payment limit at $250,000 and phasing out direct payments for farmers with sales revenue of more than $500,000 annually.

I am also very disappointed the new administration has continued efforts to redefine “actively engaged” through the rulemaking process. Congress did not include any requirement to change the criteria for meeting the definition of actively-engaged-in-farming. I have written a letter to Secretary Vilsack requesting USDA to withdraw the portion of the rule where the administration has proposed changes which go beyond those specifically required in the 2008 Farm Bill.

The uncertainty of payment limit and eligibility rules places burdens on our farmers and adds unnecessary confusion as they make crucial management decisions for their operations. Congress must retain the Farm Bill safety net approved last year, after much debate, to offset the significant weather and marketing risks and so American consumers can benefit from a safe, affordable and abundant food supply.


Cuba

Our government’s Cuba policy has been a failure. Existing policies of the United States do not punish the Cuban government; they punish American and Cuban citizens. Furthermore, our policies threaten agriculture exports to Cuba from Missouri and deprive the Cuban people of U.S. food and medicine.

In the past, the U.S. policy of open trade and travel has helped bring an end to several communist regimes. I firmly believe an open trade and travel policy is the best ambassador for democracy. A policy of isolation simply has not been effective in bringing change to Cuba over the last 40 years.


Global Food Security

Hunger is a tremendous problem, and it is not enough for our response to conditions of malnutrition, starvation and poverty to simply be well-intentioned. We must construct a complete response to hunger and script wide-ranging and proven-effective strategies. Congress needs to approve legislation that establishes commonsense waypoints so we can measure success at alleviating hunger and set good goals for the future. I’m glad to work with a bipartisan group in the U.S. Congress to raise the profile of this critical issue and implement solutions.


Horse Slaughter

In recent years, aggressive efforts have been made to ban horse slaughter. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues do not fully understand the negative consequences such proposals would have on the horse industry. Along with depriving horse owners of the market value for their horse, significant costs associated with caring for an unwanted horse and euthanasia would be transferred to horse owners and taxpayers. Additionally, I have serious concerns regarding the precedent set by excluding an animal from slaughter for reasons beyond health concerns derived from science.


National Animal Identification System

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has failed to adequately address concerns expressed by producers regarding the implementation of the NAIS. Missouri producers must be assured they will not be solely responsible for additional costs and burdens of complying with an animal ID system. Furthermore, producers must retain their privacy and be granted liability protection in such a system.

US Department of Agriculture: www.usda.gov
Missouri Farm Bureau: www.mofb.org
Missouri Farmers Union: www.missourifarmersunion.org
University of Missouri Extension: extension.missouri.edu