South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2521) to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to include South Carolina as a part of the Virginia/Carolina peanut producing region for purposes of appointment to the Peanut Standards Board.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2521, the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017.

This legislation would allow for a representative of the South Carolina peanut industry to be eligible for appointment to the Peanut Standards Board, which is tasked with the important role of establishing quality and handling standards for domestic and imported peanuts.

At the time the Peanut Standards Board was created, South Carolina was not a major peanut-producing State. However, now they are the fourth largest peanut-growing State and produce over 8 percent of U.S.- grown peanuts, and they deserve to have input into the establishment or alteration of industry standards. This bill would accomplish that by including South Carolina in the Virginia/Carolina peanut-producing region for the purpose of appointments to the Peanut Standards Board.

I want to thank Representative Wilson and the entire South Carolina delegation for their work on this legislation. This measure is broadly supported by the U.S. peanut industry and the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this commonsense legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman), a member of the State's delegation.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the gentleman from South Carolina for his comments. And to my friend, the gentlewoman from Ohio, if only the farm bill was this easy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Rick Crawford for his leadership today.

I am grateful to sponsor and support the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017, H.R. 2521. This bipartisan bill is cosponsored by all seven Members of the South Carolina delegation. It gives the hard- working peanut farmers of South Carolina a voice and say on the United States Department of Agriculture Peanut Standards Board. South Carolina is fortunate to have Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers from Bowman for his leadership.

When the 2002 farm bill created the USDA Peanut Standards Board to advise on standards for the handling and quality of peanuts, South Carolina was not a substantial peanut grower. Since then, South Carolina peanut production has increased significantly, as it now produces 8 percent of the United States peanut crop, making the Palmetto State the fourth largest peanut-producing State.

As I have said before, South Carolina appreciates peanuts so much that the State legislature has selected the boiled peanut as the State's official snack. Each year, I look forward to the Pelion Peanut Party festival which celebrates the importance of peanuts which is held in Pelion, South Carolina, led by Mayor Barbara Carey.

The midlands of South Carolina is fortunate to have enterprising entrepreneurs promoting boiled peanuts with Four Oaks Farm of Lexington owned by the Mathias family and the appreciated Cromer's peanuts of Columbia, heralded as ``guaranteed worst in town.'' That is actually meant as a compliment.

My South Carolina colleagues and I are grateful to acknowledge the significant increase in the peanut crops in the State and to advocate for the increase to be reflected on the Peanut Standards Board. We look forward to encouraging peanut farmers in South Carolina creating jobs and having their valuable input reflected on the national level.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support today of H.R. 2521.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 2521, the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, the 2002 farm bill established the Peanut Standards Board to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts. The board consists of 18 members representing three regions: the Southeast, the Southwest, and the Virginia/North Carolina region.

Despite its status as the Nation's fourth largest peanut-producing State, South Carolina is not represented on the Peanut Standards Board.

H.R. 2521, or the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017, would correct this problem by adding South Carolina to the Virginia/North Carolina region and making peanut farmers and industry representatives from the State eligible for board appointments.

The legislation has the support of the entire South Carolina delegation as well as the support of South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina peanut growers.

In conclusion, H.R. 2521 gives South Carolinians a rightful opportunity to serve on the Peanut Standards Board.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2521, the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017.

I am proud to join Representative Joe Wilson, who has been a real leader in the area, and the entire South Carolina delegation as a cosponsor of the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017, an important bill for South Carolina's peanut farmers. I also commend Harry Ott of the Farm Bureau who has been a great leader in this effort.

Mr. Speaker, South Carolina has experienced explosive growth in peanut farming in recent years, going from producing very few peanuts in the early 2000s to becoming the fourth largest peanut-producing State today, led by Brent Cogdill from Sumter. This legislation will finally give South Carolina peanut farmers their much-deserved representation on the Peanut Standards Board.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation for South Carolina's peanut producers.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent on October 31 and November 1, 2017. Had I been present for the following roll call votes:

H.R. 2521--South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017--I would have voted Yea on to allow South Carolina the ability to appoint members to the Peanut Standards Board.

Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2936--I would have voted no because this motion prevented proceeding to debate a problematic forestry bill, and allowed Congress to debate and vote on the Dream Act to protect DREAMers.

H. Res. 595--Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2936--Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017--I would have opposed this rule because it only allowed debate of seven amendments, and blocked the consideration of 10 germane amendments. This rule does not maintain regular order I strive for.