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Can American farmers stay competitive with China?

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    Rep. Henry Cuellar discusses how the government can help farmers

  • Duration 6:28
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Farmland is something that we're gonna turn our attention to right now we want to bring in on our satellite right now speaking of satellites representative Henry.

Why -- who is joining us from the average time that there -- -- -- right there.

Obviously there are -- good so -- it's very -- all right so we're talking to you today about quality action from congressional lawmakers.

-- you have an article that has just come out on the hill dot com.

-- talking about the farm bill needed to be re authorize this year.

What's going on.

Well let -- -- it's one of those bills so we need to reauthorize every five years for two reasons one.

We are going to be.

Saving money because we are going to be making some cuts on that but at the same time we're gonna set priorities for two reasons.

One.

The Baghdad exports are one of the -- what we actually have a surplus instead of deficit for example in China.

Which imports a lot of products into United States -- we talk about agriculture.

We actually have a surplus with China and with so many of the countries.

The second thing is.

Any time you or I or anybody goes into a grocery stores we got to make sure those food prices stay low -- the agriculture community is doing well.

Those food prices will remain as -- was possible.

And I understand and you're talking about the business -- what we put out here in the United States this year beef exports have doubled.

Poultry is tripled and -- has increased more than ten times.

And that's in the last twenty years and not some -- those are incredible number.

First there incredible numbers because when you look at it especially what we pass the Panama.

They can the South Korea the -- Colombia trade agreements.

One of the big winners were the -- agriculture's because we'll be able to export port will be able to.

Thanks for more goods outside the U -- and what we're able to export more.

Exports will create jobs here in the United States in the agriculture areas especially the areas that you talked about.

We've been doing extremely well we do well we create -- jobs here in the United States.

And -- you know you had said that the farm bill has a history of being one of congress' most bipartisan products that draw support from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Com have you been having trouble with the conversation there in Washington I mean people are.

People should be open to this and then wanting to get this ahead.

And we lost -- we lost him but you know have very important issue talking with a representative there and he's back.

All right we have you -- like celebrity as a second but I want you to go ahead.

And pick it up where I was just talking about you know that the conversation about people being able to talk about this in getting this.

Forward.

Yes and they can and in the first thing is you -- agriculture's not a blue or red issue.

In fact if you look at the founding fathers most of the funding -- Fathers for farmers and it's so important to our economy it's been the basic basic part of our economy.

In -- last that we pass the bar farm bill we had over 300 members.

Democrats and Republicans working together.

I'm hoping we can do the same thing keep there's a bipartisan issue because.

When you look at this it's important for jobs because we export more but it's also important anytime we gold.

In two way a grocery stores we want to make sure those so food prices stay as slowest possible.

Absolutely and for people who -- viewing viewing the Internet right now watching this show who were following you.

I'll tell us how people can support.

This action and how they can help.

You.

What you think you know I think what I think city to news talked to there there congressman -- to their senators and say let's.

Let's get together in a bipartisan way and work out a farm bill.

Because upon -- not only good for the farmers and ranchers.

But it's also good far apart food banks but also good for our school lunches.

You know any time any of our kids go out there and have a school lunch that's because of a farm bill.

So -- -- let's keep that in a bipartisan way the way we've done it for so many years in the past.

And they were able to do this I think we'll do -- a great service to to our American economy.

I know that you're gonna need to run but I want to share with you -- comment from one of our viewers really quick comment from Mike.

Carter who asks a series of questions.

I'll let you response you whichever one you'd like to take.

Why is farming unlike any other business why is the government picking winners and losers why can't we let the market decide what is profitable for farmers to raise -- -- And isn't this another government wealth redistribution.

What you know first of all our founding fathers were farmers.

And they knew from the very beginning that.

Army was gonna be one of those -- aspects of our economy from the very beginning they said.

Always good at that hand on imports away we've nowadays we -- depend on imports on oil.

Oral going to be able to have a young country we -- the United States of America and say.

We're gonna have a strong agriculture economy so we don't have to depend on other countries for food.

And therefore what -- doing now especially under the new farm bill and hopefully we get this done is.

Keep in mind that the farm bill makes up less than a half of 1%.

Of the whole federal budget.

Less than -- half of 1% of the whole federal budget shall we talk about 3.5.

Trillion dollars of a federal budget this is only happens -- and a half of 1% but at the same time what happens here is we.

We -- so much envy and the agriculture community was one of the few areas -- were able to export more.

Well we talk about trade keep in mind that Aaron that 34 more.

Industrialized countries the United States is number 31.

At the bottom in helping farmers and ranchers so -- -- I don't want to import food like we're importing oil -- this time.

And we try to make this up their system to make sure that I -- prices.

Are low and make sure that the -- of the world and other folks when they go to the grocery stores.

They're paying low food prices.

All right well best of luck to you and if people want to read more about -- they can go to the hill dot com.

I'll look for the headline farm bill needs to be reauthorize this year this written by our guest here representative Henry.

Blair thank you very much for joining us here today we look forward to hearing more about -- thank you thank you all right.

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