Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2003

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Women's Health Office Act with my colleague, Senator Olympia Snowe. The Women's Health Office Act authorizes and strengthens women's health offices or officers at Federal health agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services. This legislation will make sure that men and women get equal benefit from Federal investments in medical research and health care services.

Today, doctors, scientists, Members of Congress, and the American public know that women and men have different bodies and different health care needs. Diseases like ovarian cancer and endometriosis affect only women. High blood pressure is two to three times more common in women than men. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. The number of uninsured women has grown three times faster than the number of uninsured men over the past 5 years. Women make three-quarters of all health care spending decisions for themselves and their families.

For decades, despite these differences, men's health needs set the standard for our health care system and our health care research agenda. Women were systematically excluded from medical research because decisionmakers said that our hormone cycles complicated the results. One study on heart disease risk factors was conducted on 13,000 men--and not 1 woman. But the results of studies like these were applied to both men and women. This neglect put women's health and lives at risk.

That's why my colleagues and I took action. More than a decade ago, I worked with Olympia Snowe, Ted Kennedy, Tom Harkin, and other women in the House to get an Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health, NIH. In 1993, I worked with these same women and Galahads in Congress to make sure that the women's health office would stay at NIH by putting it into law.

This office at NIH has made a real difference in how women are treated for certain illnesses. We now know that men and women often have different symptoms before a heart attack. Women's symptoms are more subtle, like nausea and back pain. Knowing these systems means women can get to the hospital sooner and can be treated earlier. That's turning women's health research into life-saving information.

I am proud that there are now women's health offices or officers at nearly every Federal health agency at the Department of Health and Human Services. Like the one at NIH, women's health offices mean that women's health needs are always at the table. These offices at the Food and Drug Administration, (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration, (HRSA) make sure women are included in clinical drug trials, reach out to low-income and minority women to make sure they are getting vaccines and cancer screenings, and work with health care providers to put research on women's health into practice. Recent questions about the risks and benefits of mammography and hormone replacement therapy remind us that women's health offices are as important as ever.

Right now, many of these offices and the important work they do could be eliminated or cut back without the consent of Congress. That is why this bill is so important. This bill would put women's health offices into our Nation's law books.

The Women's Health Office Act does more than protect the status quo. It keeps us moving forward on women's health. It gives women's health offices a clear, consistent framework throughout the Department. By writing them into law, it gives women's health offices the stature they need to be strong, effective advocates for women's health within the Federal Government. This legislation coordinates women's health activities within each agency, to identify needs and set goals. The women's Health Office Act centralizes overall coordination throughout the Department of Health and Human services, to clarify lines of accountability and chart a clear course on women's health. Finally, it authorizes funding for these women's health offices or officers, to make sure that we put our Nation's priorities in the Federal checkbook as well as the Federal law books.

This bill has strong bipartisan support. During the 107th Congress, the Women's Health Office Act passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, HELP, Committee unanimously as part of a comprehensive women's health bill that would have expanded women's health research and improved women's access to health care. It also passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly during the 107th Congress. I am disappointed that Congress was not able to pass this bipartisan legislation, but I am hopeful that last year's momentum will help us get to women's Health Office Act signed into law this year.

I would like to thank Senator Olympia Snowe for leading the way on this important legislation. As Dean of the Senate women, I will continue to fight to get this bill signed into law and to make progress to improve the health of American women.

Mr. President, I rise today along with my good friend and colleague from Arkansas, Senator Lincoln, in support of the Emergency Agricultural Assistance Act of 2003 to assist those in the agriculture community who have been devastated by natural disaster across our country.

I hold in my hand a June 19th article from the Arkansas Democrat- Gazette that describes one of the countless stories of farmers across my State and the hardships they have faced due to unusually large amounts of rainfall their farms have received during the absolute worst possible time. In the past month, some areas have received in excess of twenty inches of rain. Arkansas, along with many other States across the Midwest and South, has been pelted continuously by rain and numerous tornadoes. As many as three dozen tornadoes have touched down in Arkansas alone. Bob Bevis, a farmer in Lonoke County, AR hasn't been able to work for three weeks due to soggy fields. In the meantime, wheat crops that were expected to bring record yields rot in the field, waiting for water to recede before the wheat can be harvested. Over fifty percent of Arkansas' wheat crop remains in the field, and with every passing day, the prospects for a successful harvest of wheat diminish. If current weather conditions abate, our farmers may be able to harvest five hundred fifty thousand acres, the lowest total in over seventeen years.

The harvest of winter wheat has been greatly affected by weather. But winter wheat, generating $112.1 million in sales last year, represents only the fourth largest field crop in Arkansas. Rice, soybeans, and cotton represent our top three field crops. During the time wheat is being harvested, these other crops are being planted. Thus, while wheat has been affected, soybeans, cotton, rice, and numerous other crops have been devasted just as they are being put into the ground. Fields are under water. Crops that were planted early have been wiped out. Over 1.3 million acres of farmland across Arkansas have been affected by the excessive rainfall. Many of these acres had to be replanted, and just as quickly as our farmers began to have hopes of a decent crop, those hopes were dashed by disasters beyond their control. As you and many of our colleagues know, this is the critical time for planting crops. The later crops get in the ground, the later they will be harvested. The later they are harvested, the greater the chance insect problems, weed problems, and a whole host of other problems will damage these crops become likely. Yields will be dangerously low. Our farmers cannot suffer this burden alone. Our farmers provide our citizens around the country with an abundant food supply, greater than any other country in the world. We have the safest, least expensive food in the world, because farm families who are suffering through excessively tough times now work from dawn to dusk in the fields to make sure that we do. As a country, and as a government, I hope that my colleagues will show these dedicated Americans the support they deserve. They need our help, and they have asked for our help. I consider this a matter of national and homeland security, and I hope that my colleagues will see it this way as well.

This bill will provide farmers in disaster areas designated by the President who experience a thirty-five percent yield loss with disaster assistance. I would like to thank my colleague from my home state for her hard work and collaboration on this bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure our farmers get the support and help they need to keep America's food supply safe, inexpensive, and the best in the world.

Mr. President, I rise today along with my good friend and colleague from Arkansas, Senator Lincoln, in support of the Emergency Agricultural Assistance Act of 2003 to assist those in the agriculture community who have been devastated by natural disaster across our country.

I hold in my hand a June 19th article from the Arkansas Democrat- Gazette that describes one of the countless stories of farmers across my State and the hardships they have faced due to unusually large amounts of rainfall their farms have received during the absolute worst possible time. In the past month, some areas have received in excess of twenty inches of rain. Arkansas, along with many other States across the Midwest and South, has been pelted continuously by rain and numerous tornadoes. As many as three dozen tornadoes have touched down in Arkansas alone. Bob Bevis, a farmer in Lonoke County, AR hasn't been able to work for three weeks due to soggy fields. In the meantime, wheat crops that were expected to bring record yields rot in the field, waiting for water to recede before the wheat can be harvested. Over fifty percent of Arkansas' wheat crop remains in the field, and with every passing day, the prospects for a successful harvest of wheat diminish. If current weather conditions abate, our farmers may be able to harvest five hundred fifty thousand acres, the lowest total in over seventeen years.

The harvest of winter wheat has been greatly affected by weather. But winter wheat, generating $112.1 million in sales last year, represents only the fourth largest field crop in Arkansas. Rice, soybeans, and cotton represent our top three field crops. During the time wheat is being harvested, these other crops are being planted. Thus, while wheat has been affected, soybeans, cotton, rice, and numerous other crops have been devasted just as they are being put into the ground. Fields are under water. Crops that were planted early have been wiped out. Over 1.3 million acres of farmland across Arkansas have been affected by the excessive rainfall. Many of these acres had to be replanted, and just as quickly as our farmers began to have hopes of a decent crop, those hopes were dashed by disasters beyond their control. As you and many of our colleagues know, this is the critical time for planting crops. The later crops get in the ground, the later they will be harvested. The later they are harvested, the greater the chance insect problems, weed problems, and a whole host of other problems will damage these crops become likely. Yields will be dangerously low. Our farmers cannot suffer this burden alone. Our farmers provide our citizens around the country with an abundant food supply, greater than any other country in the world. We have the safest, least expensive food in the world, because farm families who are suffering through excessively tough times now work from dawn to dusk in the fields to make sure that we do. As a country, and as a government, I hope that my colleagues will show these dedicated Americans the support they deserve. They need our help, and they have asked for our help. I consider this a matter of national and homeland security, and I hope that my colleagues will see it this way as well.

This bill will provide farmers in disaster areas designated by the President who experience a thirty-five percent yield loss with disaster assistance. I would like to thank my colleague from my home state for her hard work and collaboration on this bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure our farmers get the support and help they need to keep America's food supply safe, inexpensive, and the best in the world.

Mr. President, I am introducing legislation today with Senators Hatch, Baucus, Conrad, Breaux, Snowe, Lincoln and Smith that will provide thousands of our Nations' automobile dealerships with needed additional flexibility to re-invest franchise termination payments so that taxes are not unfairly imposed. This legislation has bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate and was included in the Chairman's modified mark in last year's small business tax bill.

At the end of 2000, GM notified their 2,801 Oldsmobile dealers that they were phasing out the 100 year-old Oldsmobile brand and its complete line-up of vehicles shortly after the dealers had signed a new agreement with a commitment of up to five years on this

product line. With this surprising elimination of the Oldsmobile product line, many family-owned dealerships are facing an increased threat to the viability of other product lines at their dealerships and, in some cases, a complete loss of their business.

GM is in the process of compensating these dealers to minimize the impact, as many of these dealers are facing a significant and previously unforeseeable financial burden, through no fault of their own, in connection with their efforts to continue in the automobile retail business. The legislation we are introducing today seeks to lessen that burden by allowing these dealerships up to two years to re- invest their GM's financial assistance payments in other dealership properties and defer payment of taxes under IRC Section 1031. Under current law, the dealerships would only have 6 months to identify and purchase a similar business or property. This time restriction would make it difficult, if not impossible, for most of these businesses to re-invest these payments because, as is the case with most franchises, there are very few businesses or investments that are similar enough to be considered ``like kind'' and hence qualify for tax deferral. The failure to do so results in the owner paying taxes on the payment, even if they are ultimately re-invested in a business that would have qualified. Since the dealers did not want to forfeit their rights to sell Oldsmobiles, this seems like a particularly harsh result.

In rural States like New Mexico, family-owned businesses supply the majority of jobs and services in the State. This legislation gives these small businesses an opportunity to continue their family-owned businesses and, at the same time, give a boost to the local economy. I look forward to working with my colleagues on advancing this legislation.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Emergency Agriculture Assistance Act of 2003 on behalf of farmers throughout the state of Arkansas.

Last month, my State was hit with devastating storms that produced at least three dozen tornadoes and as much as 20 inches of rain fall. These natural disasters occurred at the worst possible time for farmers, at the beginning of the planting season, when they need to get their crops into the ground.

This is a particularly vulnerable time for farmers, since freshly planted crops are highly susceptible to severe weather conditions.

A single day of heavy rains and high winds can undo a months worth of hard work, forcing producers to start over from scratch and replant entire fields or even entire farms.

Recently I was home in east Arkansas and saw much of this damage firsthand. To take just one example: In Mississippi County in northeast Arkansas, where Clark Long farms with his two sons, Clark Jr. and Nathan, 11 inches of rain fell in a two day period. As a result, the Longs were forced to replant 1400 cotton acres. Other farmers I have talked to are on their second or even third plantings.

Similar conditions abound throughout Mississippi County and northeast Arkansas, where historic planting deadlines have now passed. As a rule of thumb, a cotton farmer wants to have his crop planted no later than May 20th in order to maximize yields and to avoid having to harvest his crop in October. Farmers can typically expect yield reductions of up to two percent per day beyond this deadline, since late crops are generally more susceptible to weed and insect infestation and harsher weather conditions.

Cotton farming, as well as farming commodities such as soybeans, wheat, and rice, is an expensive and labor intensive process. These severe weather conditions exacerbate that situation greatly and place our farmers at serious risk.

We're going to monitor conditions throughout the year, guarding against further threats from severe weather, such as further tornadoes or even drought.

I urge my colleagues to join Senator Pryor and me in passing this bill and protecting our farmers in this time of need.