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News from
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
HOUSE PASSES BILL TO ENSURE TIMELY DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR RANCHERS Herseth Sandlin Leads Effort to Ensure South Dakota Livestock Producers Receive Long-Overdue Aid
July 30, 2007, Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation supported by Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin to ensure that eligible livestock producers in South Dakota will receive disaster assistance in a timely way. Due to an unintended legal technicality in the disaster assistance package signed into law earlier this year, certain ranchers would have been prevented from receiving disaster payments to which they are entitled. This legislation corrects this oversight by striking the problematic language, thereby restoring the original intent of the law. Rep. Herseth Sandlin, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee, worked to secure passage of this important bill prior to the August Congressional recess, and in anticipation of the expected delivery of disaster payments this fall. Rep. Herseth Sandlin said, “After more than a year of effort – and despite several veto threats from the President – we were successful in passing much-needed agriculture disaster aid earlier this year. Unfortunately, a small technical issue could have prevented many South Dakota producers from receiving this necessary and long-overdue assistance. This legislative fix will correct that error, and ensure that qualifying producers can indeed receive the aid they deserve. I’m proud to have helped pass this bill in the House and to send it to the President for his swift signature.” Earlier this year, the President signed into law a $3 billion in disaster assistance package, included as part of the fiscal year 2007 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill. This package provides assistance to producers who suffered crop and livestock losses from weather-related disasters during 2005, 2006 or 2007. However, several months after the bill’s passage, a legal interpretation by the United States Department of Agriculture would have denied aid to all livestock producers that did not participate in the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program or a crop insurance pilot program for rangeland. # # # Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. |
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