CENTERVILLE —
The United States House of Representatives Thursday by a 223-197 vote passed an extension of the Agriculture Disaster Program to help livestock producers and farmers suffering from the heat and drought of 2012.
The legislation, similar to what was proposed earlier by Iowa's House members, extends several disaster relief programs from the 2008 Farm Bill that expired in the fall of 2011 but was not renewed.
The legislation temporarily extends through this year the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments, Livestock Indemnity, Livestock Disaster Forage, Tree Assistance and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-Raised Fish programs.
Iowa Rep. Bruce Braley, Democrat 1st district, voted for the extension, while Rep. Dave Loebsack, Democrat 2nd district, that covers Appanoose County, called the extension "insufficient" to deal with the historic drought in Iowa.
Loebsack in a press release issued Thursday said House Republicans "refused to pass the single most important piece of legislation for Iowa farmers — the farm bill." He said the just passed extension is "dead on arrival in the Senate."
Braley in a press release issued Thursday called on politicians in Congress to "act like adults" and not take a recess until the farm bill is passed. Loebsack has been calling on Congress to stay in session until a long-term farm bill is approved.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley Thursday by telephone said the most important thing is to get a farm bill, which is ideally a five-year farm bill, because it provides certainty and allows farmers the advantage of knowing ahead of time what the programs are going to look like.
Anything short of a five-year piece of legislation, like extending the present farm bill one more year, means less certainty for farmers, Grassley said. Not passing a five-year farm bill leaves farmers uncertain if one will even be enacted, despite the fact the United States has had farm bills since the 1930s.
"Farmers deserve a safety net," Grassley said, and livestock farmers need disaster relief similar to what grain farmers have with crop insurance.
Grassley said the farm bill the Senate passed in June contained his provision to set some hard caps on what any one individual farmer can get.
"So we don't have 10 percent of the largest farmers getting 70 percent of the benefits out of the farm program," Grassley said, adding his provision would target the farm bill toward medium and small size farmers.
Grassley, a farmer, is also feeling the heat and the drought on his own crops.
"Our corn is a disaster," he said. "If we don't get some rain pretty soon beans will be a disaster."
Grassley said he expects all 99 Iowa counties eventually will be included in the disaster declaration.
Right now, almost half of Iowa's counties have been declared primary disaster areas.
The United States Department of Agriculture under the direction of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack issued a disaster declaration for Appanoose, Davis, Lucas, Monroe and Wayne counties due to extensive damage to crops and livestock from the recent drought. A large chunk of southeast Iowa is included in the declaration.
That brings 218 counties in 12 states under disaster designations.
Local News
August 7, 2012
Disaster relief passes House; ‘dead on arrival in the Senate’
- Local News
-
- Sedan Bottoms bird conservation area dedication The public is invited to celebrate the dedication of the Sedan Bottoms Wildlife Management Area as a state and national bird conservation area July 3 at 1:30 p.m. The ceremony, hosted by the DNR and the Appanoose County Conservation Board, will take
-
Here come the candidates
The Centerville City Council at Monday night's regular meeting made no changes to the itinerary for the two-day visit the five city administrator candidates will make this Friday and Saturday. The five candidates are Patrick Antonen, Darrel Steven Ca
- Monthly clinic The regular monthly immunization clinic is Tuesday, June 25 from 1-4 p.m. by appointment only at Appanoose County Public Health office, 209 E. Jackson St., Centerville. Childhood immunizations available include: DTaP, Polio, MMR, Varicella, Hep. A &
-
Facilities open for use at Rathbun despite high water
With high water levels at Rathbun Lake this spring, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake has crested and is lowering and that park facilities are open and ready for use.
- IHCC Honor Roll students OTTUMWA -- Indian Hills Community College has released the names of the students who were on the college's academic Honor Roll for the 2013 Spring Term. To be included on the Honor Roll, an IHCC student must be enrolled full-time and have a grade poi
-
Local man is catalyst for Parkinson's Support Group
Thanks to Jerry Boblenz, a Parkinson’s Support Group is starting in Appanoose County. Mercy Medical Center will be holding an initial meeting on Thursday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the south cafeteria of the hospital. Thinking that he probably had a p
- Kirkwood Community College announces graduates CEDAR RAPIDS -- Kirkwood Community College has announced the graduating class of 2012-2013. College faculty and administration joined friends and family in saluting the grads at commencement ceremonies at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, M
- Truman State University announces Spring 2013 President's List KIRKSVILLE, Mo. -- Truman State University has released the Spring 2013 President's List. To qualify for this list, an undergraduate student must attain a semester 4.0 grade point average and must complete 12 semester hours of credit. Founded in 186
- Appanoose County road work County road work The Appanoose County Secondary Road Department reports the following road travel restrictions started Monday for 150th Avenue from 15129 150th Avenue to approx. 0.20 miles north of 15129 150th Avenue to replace a culvert. It is expe
-
Congressman Loebsack tours Rathbun Lake Watershed
Of the many hats worn by John Sellers -- including Rathbun Land and Water Alliance Board Member, conservation minded landowner, Wayne County Supervisor and Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner -- he added tour guide to the list when Cong
- Moravia blood drive Moravia Ruritan will hold a Moravia Community Blood Drive on Tuesday, June 25 at 1:30-6:30 p.m. at the Nazarene Church Fellowship Hall in Moravia. Blood donors are especially needed during the summer months as blood donations tend to decrease this t
- CHS Honor Roll Centerville High School fourth quarter Honor Roll * indicates 4.0 Ninth Grade Bailey, Braden *Barger, Alyssa Dean Becker, Desmond Chance *Boyle, Colleen Frances Bridges, Alissa Katelyn Butler, Wesley Michael *Caylor, Emily Marie Chapman. Melissa Lyn
- WEEKLY CALENDAR MONDAY 17 CENTERVILLE LEGION?POST 214, meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Continental at St. Joseph's in the meeting room to the right of the V.A. office. APPANOOSE COUNTY WEEKLY MEALS, invites everyone to enjoy a free meal and fe
-
Itinerary for administrator search
One item on the agenda for tonight's Centerville City Council meeting that goes into some detail is the itinerary for the search for a city administrator. Tonight's council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
- Conger answers call to service in FEMA Corps SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Rachel Conger, of Centerville, is one of 154 Sacramento-based young people serving in the nation's first class of FEMA Corps, a new unit of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps solely devoted to disaster preparedness
- More Local News Headlines
