President Bush failed to change my mind, and I think he failed to change the minds of the American people, on his policy to increase the number of troops in Iraq. I am disappointed that the President is set on a course of redeployment that will stretch our military, including the National Guard and Reserves, too thin. We must demand more accountability of the Iraqi government and more responsibility of our own government.

I was encouraged to hear the President push for the development of alternative fuels, such as ethanol and biofuel, that would create countless economic opportunities in rural America and help us realize an economic revival in the Delta Region. Our nation has become dependent upon foreign oil and I was pleased to hear that the President is committed to working with those of us in Congress who are promoting the development of such energy supplies to give our farmers and small businesses exciting new markets.

I also believe it is imperative for Congress to work in a bipartisan manner and help pass legislation to make health care more affordable and accessible and to make sure our children receive a world class education in the 21^st Century. These are issues the President talked about where I believe we can make a difference on behalf of the American people.

Ross and Berry welcomed Collin Peterson (D-MN), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, as a special guest for the town hall forum, where the three addressed the specific needs of Arkansas farmers in anticipation of the rewrite of our nation’s agriculture policy scheduled for this year. 

“We have an opportunity this year during the reauthorization of our nation’s agriculture policy to create new markets for our farmers by investing in alternative and renewable fuels that can be grown right here in Arkansas,” Ross said.  “It is critical that the needs of Arkansas farmers are addressed in the implementation of our nation’s next agriculture policy.  Agriculture is the backbone of our state’s economy and I am pleased to welcome Chairman Peterson to the Fourth District to hear from our farmers and ranchers as we prepare to rewrite the farm bill.”

“The 2002 Farm Bill was a strong bill that addressed most of the concerns of Arkansas producers,” Berry said. “We now have the opportunity to reauthorize this bill and improve on it by including a disaster title as well as help farmers deal with spikes in energy prices, which cause tremendous hardship to the agricultural community. I look forward to working with Chairman Peterson and Congressman Ross to build upon the existing bill and continue providing the safest, most secure, and affordable food and fiber supply in the world.”

Both Representatives Berry and Ross are strong advocates for Arkansas Agriculture and were instrumental in passing the 2002 Farm Bill. They fought to raise payment limits for farmers, save market recourse loans and loan deficiency programs above payment limit caps, protect cotton certificates, raise payments under the Environment Quality Incentives Program by 600 percent, and increase the Conservation Reserve Program to provide farmers with technical and financial assistance to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands.

Both pledged to continue their fight for Arkansas farmers by preserving the funding and benefits of the 2002 Farm Bill in the upcoming 2007 Farm Bill scheduled to be written this year. 

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The Blue Dog Coalition announced its plan to introduce a resolution calling for increased fiscal accountability in funding the Iraq war. The resolution focuses on four crucial points for demanding fiscal responsibility in Iraq. The points are: a call for transparency on how Iraq war funds are spent; the creation of a Truman Commission to investigate the awarding of contracts; a need to fund the Iraq war through the normal appropriations process and not through “emergency” supplementals; and using American resources to improve Iraqi assumption of internal policing operations.

“This resolution is about accountability and responsibility,” said Ross, Blue Dog Co-Chair. “For the past four years, this Administration has written off the costs of this war in a fiscally irresponsible manner and it is time that we be good stewards of our hard working taxpayers’ money and hold our government accountable for the expenditures in Iraq.”

The conservative Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public.  The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Currently there are 44 members of the Blue Dog Coalition.

Ross has been a member of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition since he was first elected to represent Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District in Congress in 2000.  He currently serves as Co-Chair for Communications and is one of four elected leaders in the Blue Dog Coalition.

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