Washington, D.C.– U.S. Representative Charles W. Boustany, Jr., (R-Southwest Louisiana), today made the following announcement of a Farm Bill agreement.

 

“The Farm Bill provides important and necessary safeguards for our food producers, and I have worked to make sure Louisiana farmers and ranchers are well represented,” Boustany said. “I am cautiously optimistic about this Farm Bill agreement. It maintains an effective commodities title for Louisiana’s sugar and rice farmers. However, until Congress votes on a final bill, I will be leery of a last minute tax hike or other poison bill from Speaker Pelosi. As it stands now, I am very pleased with this bill that puts our Louisiana farmers at its center.”

 

Boustany, the only Louisiana member of the Agriculture Committee of either the House or the Senate, worked to secure ???. As a new Farm Bill has been written and debated, Boustany met with farmers across the Seventh District hosting a bi-partisan Farm Day in Crowley and Jeanerette with Under Secretary of Agriculture Mark Keenum. In addition, Boustany conducted several tele-town halls with Southwest Louisiana farmers and families involved in the agricultural sector to better understand their needs and concerns.

 

The House passed a bill in July, but it contained a massive tax increase added by Democratic House leadership two days before the final vote. Congressman Boustany voted against that bill because of the tax increase. He has fought to prevent tax increases and protect the commodity programs in the final bill.