CRAWFORD, Texas – United States president George W. Bush signed legislation Aug. 13 authorizing $5.5 billion US in payments to grain farmers hammered by drought and low prices.
It is the fourth farm rescue package in four years.
Bush signed the legislation at his ranch in central Texas, on parched prairie land hit hard by drought. Three dozen ranchers and farmers, some wearing cowboy hats, their businesses hurting from the dry conditions, witnessed the signing as they sat on hay bales.
“It’s a piece of legislation to provide economic assistance to ag communities all across America,” Bush said before signing the bill at a simple desk set up in front of the house where he used to live.
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His signature ensures growers will receive payments by the end of September.
The aid is intended to help offset chronically low prices for corn, soybeans and other grains. It brought total farm aid the U.S. Congress has approved since grain prices collapsed in late 1998 to $30.5 billion.
About $5 billion of this year’s bailout will go to grain, cotton and soybean growers, with farmers raising a smattering of minor crops getting the rest. Payments would come to about 85 percent of what growers received last year.
Bush, who fought off an attempt by the senate to balloon the farm bill to more than $7 billion, said he hoped the legislation would “make the lives of the people who farm and the people who ranch much better off.
“I’m worried about the fact that the ag economy suffers, because agriculture is a part of our national security mix. If we can’t grow enough food to feed our people, we’ve got a problem,” Bush said.
Senate majority leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota has said that Democrats would try in the fall for increased farm aid.
On Bush’s ranch and on surrounding farms were dry lands, grass turned a light brown. A brief downpour in the area earlier in the day did nothing to relieve the parched conditions.
“I was hoping it would start raining in the middle of this little talk and I could take credit for it,” said Bush.
“Terrible,” said Texas agriculture commissioner Susan Combs when asked how bad it was for farmers and ranchers.
“You only have to look around at the drought that we’re seeing here,” she said, gesturing to the scorched earth around her. The region has suffered droughts in five of the last six years, she added.
Farmer Danny Arnold, wearing blue jeans, plaid shirt and ostrich skin cowboy boots, grows cantaloupes, honey dew melons, onions and carrots in the area.
“Lately it’s pretty rough, pretty rough,” said Arnold. He said the bailout was bound to help.
“Sure, anything’ll help. It’s in the right direction. At least make people aware that we are in need of some help,” he said.
Bush pointed out the farm bill was the first bill he has signed in Crawford.
