(Washington) U.S. Congressman Sam Graves, the only Missourian on the Agriculture Committee and one of only a handful of farmers in Congress, voted yesterday to pass the Farm Bill. Graves has worked on the Farm Bill from the beginning in order to craft a bill that increases the role of agriculture in energy, fights fraud, provides a safety net and increases opportunities for research and economic development.

 

“Being a farmer myself, I know how important this bill is to our farmers,” Graves said. “This bill will give the 65,000 Sixth District farmers and ranchers the help they need to make sure our food supply continues to be the safest and most abundant in the world.”

 

“While only 17 percent of Farm Bill spending is devoted to farm programs, the Farm Bill provides a critical safety net for our farmers and ranchers, “ Graves continued. “It is not a perfect bill, but we’ve worked in a bi-partisan manner to fashion a workable bill. I’ve talked with a lot of farmers and producers and this bill works for Missouri.”

 

Throughout the process of writing and moving the Farm Bill to final passage, Graves worked to include common sense provisions that promote agriculture and protect the farm safety net. Graves authored an amendment to the bill that permanently bans anyone convicted of defrauding USDA programs from being eligible again. The bill also created a National Institute of Food and Agriculture that will help bring research in the classroom into the field.

 

"As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman Sam Graves worked diligently to represent the interests of Missouri's farmers and ranchers in the writing of a new Farm Bill and stood strong in his support of a farm program safety net and other measures vital to production agriculture," said Missouri Farm Bureau President Charles Kruse.

 

Graves worked to make sure the Farm Bill works for Missouri and adapts to the challenges farmers and rural communities are facing in the global economy. The bill includes new flexibility for farmers who will now have the option of the traditional counter cyclical program or a new revenue based program. The bill also made changes the Rural Utility Service (RUS) program to increase the reach of broadband into rural areas.

 

“This Farm Bill is different than those in the past and gives farmers more flexibility in how they participate in federal programs,” Graves said. “I think it’s clear with the changing agricultural economy and the volatility in the current agriculture markets that a one-size-fits-all program no longer suits the needs of our nation’s food policy or of the average farmer trying to compete in a global market.”

 

The Farm Bill passed with wide bi-partisan support, 306-106.

 

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