Friday, April 19, 2019

REPRESENTATIVES WOODALL AND SCOTT TEAM UP TO ADVOCATE FOR GEORGIA FARMERS

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by: Robert Woodall (R-GA, 7th)

Lawrenceville, GA - April 19, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Last week, the House Rules Committee met to consider H.R. 2021, the “Investing for the People Act.” Representative Austin Scott (GA-08) testified about his amendment to H.R. 2021, which would have provided emergency disaster assistance funding to farmers, ranchers, and others who were harmed by 2018 natural disasters.

In October, Hurricane Michael devastated parts of South and Middle Georgia. Since then, the entire Georgia Congressional Delegation has worked to secure federal assistance for not only Georgia, but for other areas impacted by hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters during 2018. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to advance disaster aid legislation due to ongoing policy disagreements. Representative Scott’s amendment was a new attempt to secure disaster aid following continued obstruction by Senate Democrats who refuse to support the compromise legislation drafted by Georgia’s Senators Isakson and Perdue.

“Georgia is the number one producer of peanuts and pecans in the United States. Our state is the second largest producer of cotton, has the fourth largest amount of total forest land area, and 24.4 million acres of available timberland for commercial use in our country,” said Congressman Woodall. “Farmers from California to New York and all the way down to Georgia work day and night to fill the refrigerators for all Americans. Each year, our farmers take enormous risks on our behalf, and as Americans, we should do everything we can to stand behind these hardworking men and women who are willing to put their family’s well-being on the line.”

“For months, I have received calls from farmers and the lenders they rely on that the financial impacts from Hurricane Michael were becoming increasingly more difficult to bear. The truth is, if Hurricane Michael had hit Americans who weren’t farmers or farmers who aren’t Americans, the stories of Washington’s apathy to get this done would be the front page of every paper,” said Congressman Austin Scott. “For months, we have stressed the magnitude of the damage to our colleagues, and for months we were promised that this was a priority for the White House and Congressional leadership from both sides of the aisle. Those were nothing but empty promises. American farmers work day-in and day-out to feed and clothe America and the world, and I will continue fighting for them until the White House and Congress keep the promises we made to them.”

Click here to watch Representative Scott’s testimony and Representative Woodall’s motion to include the disaster relief amendment in H.R. 2021.

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