Washington, DC – President George W. Bush signed Congressman Randy Neugebauer’s agriculture disaster assistance legislation into law on Wednesday.  With the president’s signature, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can now move forward with implementing the program.

  “It is great to see that President Bush’s signature is now on the bill,” Neugebauer said.  “There were times during this debate in Congress when it looked like farmers were going to be left out in the cold.  I was able to find a solution, and now farmers will be getting the relief they deserve.”

   Neugebauer’s disaster assistance package helps farmers and ranchers who suffered crop losses and grazing losses for livestock in 2003 or 2004.  This relief is made available without opening the Farm Bill or affecting commodity program spending, both accomplishments important to Neugebauer.  The legislation includes spending offsets that address the concerns of many members of Congress who opposed disaster relief for agriculture because of its price tag.

   The $2.9 billion in nationwide agriculture disaster assistance, including crop and livestock losses in hurricane-affected areas, is paid for by reinstating spending limits for the Conservation Security Program (CSP).  The offsets will not affect any current spending for CSP and no other conservations programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), will be affected by Neugebauer’s legislation.

   To be eligible for the crop loss assistance, farmers must have a loss greater than 35 percent of their crop’s value in either 2003 or 2004.  Producers cannot receive assistance for both crop years.  The plan also stipulates that disaster assistance received by a farmer cannot exceed 95 percent of the crop’s worth absent the disaster.  Both offsets were used in the last disaster package that aided farmers across the country who suffered major losses in 2001 and 2002.

   “My disaster legislation is very similar to previous assistance programs passed by Congress,” Neugebauer said.  “The process of getting the checks to producers who need them should take place much more smoothly because of these similarities.” 

   Neugebauer’s agriculture assistance package was part of a larger bill that also provides $11.6 billion in aid for losses resulting from recent hurricanes hitting the southeastern United States.

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