Senate Ag Ranking Member Roberts’ Statement on the President’s FY2013 Budget Proposal

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kans.) Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today released the following statement on the President’s FY 2013 Budget Proposal:

“Once again, the Obama Administration has ignored feedback from producers, and a bipartisan majority of the Senate Agriculture Committee all of whom believe that crop insurance is the most effective safety net for agriculture. Rather than listen to those in farm country, the Obama Administration has chosen to recycle old suggestions and raid Agriculture to pay for excessive spending elsewhere.

“Farmers and ranchers are ready to do their part to rein in federal spending. In negotiations last fall, we identified $23 billion in savings from  U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. Our work to listen to farmers and ranchers continues this week as we hold more hearings on tough issues facing farm country and how they impact producers, consumers and the taxpayers.

“I look forward to working with Chairwoman Stabenow to pass a new Farm Bill this year. It is through the Committee’s careful and open consideration of how to improve our nation’s ability to meet critical global demand for food that will decide funding priorities, not through a budget proposal that according to Senate Majority Leader Reid will not even be considered in the Senate.”

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