Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg (R), today said he is pleased with the authorization of $3.1 billion in emergency agricultural assistance, which includes $2.1 billion for crop disaster assistance, and $350 million in livestock assistance. The appropriation was part of a $397.4 billion omnibus spending measure passed this past week by Congress.

“I’m real happy we were able to accomplish what we began in the year 2001, and that was to provide this drought assistance to Montana’s farmers and ranchers,” Rehberg said, adding, “We’re going to try and get this assistance out in the next 90 days, which will help our producers in making spring planting and range decisions.”

Rehberg, a member of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, was part of a bi-partisan effort in Congress that helped secure the funding. Last October, Rehberg helped organize a Washington D.C. “Drought Summit” with several other members of Congress, who included Rep. Barbara Cubin (WY), Rep. John Thune (SD), Rep. Bob Schaffer (CO), and Rep. Tom Osborne (NE). Producers from across the country, including Carter, Montana farmer Dale Schuler, were invited to share their first-hand testimony as to the drought’s effects. According to USDA statistics, the drought has been felt in over half the country.

Last Thursday, the House voted 338 to 83 in favor of the omnibus bill, which then passed the Senate, 76-20, after a joint conference committee previously hammered-out many of the details in the 3,000-page document. After the Senate vote, President Bush issued a statement saying he looks forward to signing the measure into law.

More specific details of the disaster aid can be found at: http://agriculture.house.gov/disaster.html