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Sen. Portman says reforms needed

During an Agriculture Roundtable discussion at Mike Farm Enterprises near Dayton on Wednesday, September 4, U.S. Senator Rob Portman said they only way he would vote for the Farm Bill is if there are reforms to the Food Stamp program.

“Now I believe in the Conference between the House and the Senate they are going to address those issues,” Portman said. “So when it comes back out of the Conference between the House and Senate I think it will be in there and I’m gonna support it.”

The Senator said he likes the Senate version of the Commodity Title and he supports a strong safety net in the form of crop insurance.

“And need to do more in terms of exports, which we can,” said Senator Portman, the one time U.S. Trade Ambassador. “We have to get the Administration back into the business of opening up markets for our corn and our soybeans, for that matter our beef, our pork, our poultry, because we have a great opportunity here in Ohio to expand our markets through exports.”

Audio: U.S. Senator Rob Portman R-OH (4:30 mp3)

In addition to the Farm Bill, Senator Portman heard from a group of Southwest Ohio farmers on Immigration Reform and the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The RFS is something Ken Davis, who farms near Leesburg supports.

“I just feel strongly that the Renewable Fuels Standard has done more for rural economies, for rural communities and in states like Ohio, where agriculture is such a big part of the general economy, it has contributed tremendously, far better than anything we could have asked for,” said Davis.

Audio: Ken Davis, farmer, Leesburg, Ohio (3:30 mp3)