To express the sense of the Senate relating to the provision of disaster assistance.

SA 2249. Mrs. HUTCHISON submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed to amendment SA 1908 submitted by Mr. Kohl (for himself and
Mr. Brownback) to the bill H.R. 2997, making appropriations for
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2010, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:

On page 85, between lines 16 and 17, insert the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) The Senate finds that--
(1) agriculture is a national security concern;
(2) the United States suffers from periodic disasters which
affects the food and fiber supply of the United States;
(3) the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 8701 et seq.) established 5 permanent disaster
programs to deliver timely and immediate assistance to
agricultural producers recovering from losses;
(4) as of the date of enactment of this Act, of those 5
disaster programs--
(A) none are available, finalized, and implemented to
deliver urgently needed assistance for 2009 producer losses;
and
(B) only 1 is being implemented for 2008 losses;
(5) Texas producers are suffering from 1 of the worst
droughts since the 1920's and need immediate relief; and
(6) the Secretary of Agriculture has previously authorized
various forms of disaster assistance by providing funding
under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C.
612c), and through the Commodity Credit Corporation.
(b) It is the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of
Agriculture should use all of the discretionary authority
available to the Secretary to make available immediate relief
and assistance for agricultural producers suffering losses as
a result of the 2009 droughts.
______