For Immediate Release:
Friday, May 11, 2007 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Dan Boren voted late last night to provide $3.5 billion in federal agriculture disaster assistance to farmers and ranchers impacted by wildfires and drought over the past two years.  H.R. 2207 easily passed the House, 302-120.

 

“Farmers and ranchers across Oklahoma have been asking for this assistance since I came to Congress,” Boren said.  “This bipartisan bill is the first real shot we’ve had at making it a reality.  I hope the Senate will act quickly so we can get this aid to the agricultural producers who need it.”

 

The bill provides for crop and livestock assistance to producers that incurred qualified losses in 2005, 2006 and – under certain circumstances – early 2007.  Many Oklahoma producers who suffered losses in the 2005 and 2006 wildfires would be eligible for assistance.

 

“As one of the nation’s top agriculture-producing states this assistance is particularly important for Oklahoma,” Boren said.  “Many of our farmers and ranchers are the victims of an unpredictable drought that has had a ripple effect on our rural economies and a chilling effect on family farms.”

 

Oklahoma was hit hard by recent droughts, with some areas of the state experiencing their worst drought conditions on record.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, all 77 counties in the state have experienced exceptional or extreme drought at some point in 2005 or 2006.

####