Governors respond to drought relief
Gov. John Hoeven and South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds were in Washington meeting with farm groups, administration and Congressional officials on drought relief.
The governors will lobby the Bush administration and members of Congress for a federal agricultural disaster bill.
Hoeven and Rounds held a teleconference Wednesday from Washington.
After meeting in Washington, Hoeven declared that the White House was seriously aware of the drought.
Officials were open to discussions what should be done next, he said.
“ Congress has not been able to get through anything yet, but this is a policy issue that needs to be presented at the White House level,” Rounds said during the teleconference.
“ Twenty other states have now joined our efforts supporting a disaster bill this year. It is important that we get assistance for our producers, and we will keep working for a disaster assistance package,” Hoeven wrote in a press release.
“ We need to make improvements to crop insurance so farmers can adequately insure and protect themselves at these times of disaster and severe weather,” Hoeven said at the teleconference.
Rounds said tools are available now that perhaps were not in previous years.
These tools can measure where the drought is impacting agricultural production the most. They can also identify where the crops have been harvested the most successfully.
“ That means that we can now tailor disaster relief to areas that truly need it,” Rounds said. “We have to sell that approach to a Congress that is made up of both urban and rural leaders.”
After meeting with Hunter Moorhead, agriculture adviser to President Bush, Hoeven described himself as being “cautiously optimistic.”
“ We are dealing with Congress. Anytime you are dealing with Congress you’re dealing with lots of personalities, you’re dealing with an election year. There is a limited amount of time,” Hoeven said.
Right now, the governors are waiting on Congress to get the next step done, Hoeven said.
“ I am more optimistic than when I got down here today, but we’re not there yet,” Rounds said.
Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad have also been working to help drought-stricken ranchers.
The administration has agreed to hear their request to extend a tax break that will help ranchers who have been forced to sell their herds because of drought, a press release stated.
In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Dorgan said the Senate must vote on a disaster-relief package to pressure the president to accept an aid package for family farmers and ranchers who have battled torrential rain, floods, fires and drought over the past two years.
“ The announcement that the Administration has agreed to extend this deferment is good news for ranchers who are suffering from a severe drought,” Dorgan wrote in a press release. “Many ranchers are struggling to rebuild the herds they were forced to sell in previous drought years, and this year’s dry conditions have not helped matters. It would make no sense to penalize them as they try to rebuild their businesses.”
Conrad said the drought gripped North Dakota is one of historic proportions.
“ This tax break will help those ranchers while we continue to work on other forms of disaster assistance that will keep them in business,” Conrad said in a press release.
Dorgan said that farmers losing everything and selling livestock because they cannot care for them signals a disaster.
“ This country goes all over the world giving help to people who need it, and it’s time we stood up and gave a hand to family farmers and ranchers when they need it,” Dorgan said. “Congress can’t go home for politics and leave the urgent need of family farmers and ranchers unaddressed.”