OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Amendments

Date: June 17, 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Agriculture and Food


AMENDMENTS -- (House of Representatives - June 17, 2004)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the tobacco buyout provision that has been added to H.R. 4520, the American Jobs Creation Act. This provision offers great relief to the hard working tobacco farmers of Missouri and the Nation.

The American tobacco farmer has been financially pressed for decades due to outdated government regulations. This bill provides hope to many tobacco farmers and quota owners nationwide that face the increased challenges to their operations.
This tobacco provision provides $9.6 billion in compensation to quota holders and tobacco growers over 5 years. This ends a depression-era program and introduces free market reforms to tobacco farming.

Many may not realize Missouri's contribution to the tobacco industry, but our state alone in 2000 contributed roughly $2 million in annual sales. While tobacco farmers may be small in numbers, their contribution should not go unnoticed.

I want to commend Chairman THOMAS and House leadership for working to assist Missouri tobacco farmers and
farmers across the Nation. I am pleased by my colleagues' efforts to include the tobacco provision in the American Jobs Creation Act and I look forward to supporting this legislation.

arrow_upward