Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 109 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 109 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 152 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2006 No. 128 Senate The Senate met at 2:15 p.m. and was of the Military Construction-Veterans cultural disaster assistance for our called to order by the President pro Affairs appropriations bill. We will be farmers and ranchers. Normally, most tempore (Mr. STEVENS). voting later this afternoon. Once a vote of my colleagues know I would not is scheduled, we will notify Senators as offer this amendment on an unrelated PRAYER to the exact timing of that vote. As it measure. Our hand is forced. We are The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- stands now, we are looking at a late told it is highly unlikely there will be fered the following prayer: afternoon vote as the first vote of the an Agriculture appropriations bill con- Let us pray. day. If we can expedite floor consider- sidered separately. We have no alter- Our Creator and God, You provide us ation with a handful of relevant native but to offer this measure to this with strength. Lead us in life’s battles. amendments, it is our hope we should legislation. This amendment will determine Keep us from retreating when we con- be able to finish this important spend- whether thousands of farm families front overwhelming challenges and ing bill today. will be able to continue next year. We painful losses. With Your powerful I suggest the absence of a quorum. have had 2 years of unusual natural arm, chase away the forces that seek The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. disasters that have affected agriculture to confuse and discourage us. Let Your across this country. These people need shining glory illuminate the road The assistant legislative clerk pro- ceeded to call the roll. to know whether they can continue in ahead. In Your kindness and mercy, the business of farming and ranching. rescue us from ourselves. f Their bankers need to know. This legis- Guide the Members of this body in MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND lation is critical to that determination. the path they should walk today. May VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RE- For over a year, I, along with many their thoughts, words, and actions LATED AGENCIES APPROPRIA- of my Senate colleagues—let me indi- bring You pleasure. Teach them how to TIONS ACT, 2007 cate that it is already nearly 20 of my make concessions without coercion and colleagues—have come on a bipartisan to find conciliation without com- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under basis to cosponsor this bill, including promise. the previous order, the Senate will re- Senator COLEMAN of Minnesota; Sen- We pray in Your loving Name. Amen. sume consideration of H.R. 5385, which ator BEN NELSON of Nebraska; my own f the clerk will report. colleague, Senator DORGAN of North The assistant legislative clerk read Dakota; Senator SALAZAR of Colorado; PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE as follows: Senator HAGEL of Nebraska; Senator The PRESIDENT pro tempore led the A bill (H.R. 3585) making appropriations JOHNSON of South Dakota; Senator Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: for military quality of life functions of the THUNE of South Dakota; Senator ENZI I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the Department of Defense, military construc- of Wyoming; Senator BAUCUS of Mon- tion, the Department of Veterans Affairs, United States of America, and to the Repub- tana; Senator REID of Nevada; Senator and related agencies for the fiscal year end- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, CLINTON; Senator OBAMA; Senator DUR- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ing September 11, 2007, and for other pur- poses. BIN; Senator LEAHY; Senator HARKIN; f Senator CANTWELL; Senator BURNS of Pending: Montana; Senator SCHUMER; and Sen- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME Akaka/Obama amendment No. 5128, to pro- ator ROBERTS of Kansas. Repeatedly, vide, with an offset, an additional $2,500,000 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under we have come to the Senate to try to the previous order, the leadership time for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Office of Inspector General. get disaster assistance considered. is reserved. Last spring, as part of the hurricane Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask f supplemental, the Senate approved an unanimous consent that the order for agricultural disaster package for the RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING the quorum call be rescinded. 2005 crop-year. That measure was MAJORITY LEADER The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- dropped in conference due to opposi- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The out objection, it is so ordered. tion from the administration and the acting majority leader is recognized. AMENDMENT NO. 5144 House leadership. I have taken out the f Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, let me provisions that drew the opposition of thank Senators HUTCHISON and FEIN- the administration. Those direct pay- SCHEDULE STEIN, the managers of this bill, for the ments that were an offset to the dra- Mr. SUNUNU. Mr. President, this opportunity to offer and discuss my matic runup in energy prices are not in afternoon we will resume consideration amendment to provide emergency agri- this bill. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S10889 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 23:49 Feb 05, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2006SENATE\S14NO6.REC S14NO6 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S10890 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 14, 2006 The legislation I am offering today is raised by the administration. The eco- sulted in thousands of cattle being sold nearly identical to the bipartisan relief nomic assistance provisions help pro- off prematurely in auction barns. provision I introduced on September 20, ducers offset rising energy costs, and Those who have already sold the fac- 2006. My amendment is bipartisan and the direct grants to States to assist tory are left with only a mortgage to has 19 cosponsors. specialty crop and livestock sectors pay and no relief in sight. The need for this amendment is com- have been removed. Those provisions, Senator JOHN THUNE and I jointly pelling. In North Dakota last year, as at the insistence of the White House, traveled across South Dakota this this picture shows, we faced extraor- have been removed. summer to some of the areas hit hard- dinary flooding. Over a million acres Also, the administration has stated est by this drought. We consistently were prevented from being planted. that we need to wait until harvest is heard about the astronomically high Hundreds of thousands of acres that concluded. The harvest is now over for price for hay and fuel costs for trans- were planted were drowned out because 2006; the losses are real and significant portation, if a producer could even find of excessive rainfall. There was no dis- throughout many parts of the country. forage to purchase. We saw the effects aster assistance for those farmers. The crop and livestock production of the drought on corn and soybeans, This year, in the irony of ironies, we loss provisions contained in the origi- many of which barely got out of the now have experienced an extraordinary nal legislation were retained and will ground and were stunted by desert-like drought. This is a picture from my apply for both the 2005 and 2006 produc- conditions. Some producers saw yields home county, Burleigh County, where tion years. Crop producers will still that measured out to the tenth of the the capital of North Dakota is located. need to demonstrate a 35-percent loss bushel, after being socked with severe This is a corn crop, but nothing was before they get any assistance. The fuel and fertilizer costs. produced. It is only one of thousands of Livestock Compensation Program will At a stop at the Ft. Pierre Livestock fields that were not worth harvesting. only be made to producers whose oper- Sale Barn, we met with ranchers who This drought has been determined by ations are in counties designated as finally had to sell out because of ex- the USDA meteorologist to be the disaster areas by the Secretary and treme conditions. The Herreid Live- third worst drought in our Nation’s who can demonstrate they have suf- stock Sale Barn saw an estimated 2,500 history. Only the Dust Bowl of the fered a material loss. The legislation to 3,500 head per week over the summer 1930s and the prolonged drought of the also contains additional funding for instead of the usual 200 to 300 cattle 1950s compared to what many parts of conservation operations to help restore per week for that time of year. I invited USDA Secretary Mike the country have been facing. and rehabilitate drought and livestock Johanns to travel to South Dakota and This chart shows the U.S. Drought losses on grazing land. Scientists have see this extensive damage firsthand. Monitor. It shows how severe the told us this is imperative. Because of The Secretary of Agriculture came to drought was all across the Midwest and the modifications, the cost of providing my home State, but, unfortunately, Southeast. Its darkest colors represent disaster assistance for 2005 and 2006 has rolled out a grossly inadequate agri- exceptional drought. North Dakota and been reduced from $6.7 billion to $4.9 culture disaster assistance program. South Dakota were the epicenter of billion—a reduction of nearly $2 bil- this drought in late July. It has been This empty shell game is a glaring ex- lion. ample of the ‘‘too little, too late’’ ap- totally devastating to my part of the Farmers and ranchers need assist- proach that this administration has country.