Majority News

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to news reports that USDA is encouraging increased participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through Spanish soap operas, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack demanding a full accounting of the scope and effectiveness of taxpayer...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today applauded U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s efforts to improve federal disaster assistance by cutting red tape and reducing delays for this critical aid. “At a time when Kansas and other states are suffering from...

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today introduced a bill to prohibit the deduction of medical marijuana when determining federal nutrition benefits. “Federal nutrition assistance, provided by American taxpayers, should not be boosted due to...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, today applauded Senate approval of the Farm Bill and called for swift House consideration to provide America’s farmers, ranchers and consumers with certainty before the current law expires September 30th. The...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today said the Senate should approve the Farm Bill because it reforms American agriculture and saves the taxpayer $23 billion. The full Senate began debate on the bill late Tuesday. The Farm Bill, written by...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today released the following statement regarding MF Global Bankruptcy Trustee James Giddens’ report: “In December at our hearing, when John Corzine and witness after witness could not imagine what...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today said the committee reported out the 2012 Farm Bill, officially called the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act, which reduces spending on agriculture programs by over $23 billion, strengthens the safety...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said the Committee’s 2012 Farm Bill would reform Agriculture in America, saving nearly $23 billion and consolidating nearly 100 programs while ensuring critical safety nets are improved to allow...

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry issued the following statement regarding the postponement of the Agriculture Committee mark-up scheduled for tomorrow morning: “I support Chairwoman Stabenow’s decision to postpone the Farm Bill mark-up scheduled for...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of Senate Committee on Agriculture Nutrition and Forestry, and Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), the Committee’s Ranking Member, today said that the USDA’s proven firewalls and internationally recognized safeguards that protect against potential cases of BSE (Bovine...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) Chairwoman of the Committee, today introduced legislation to establish a foundation to solicit private donations to enhance research for the most pressing challenge facing...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, ranking member U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today said he would continue work to preserve, protect and strengthen crop insurance for producers to improve stability of the nation’s safe and abundant food supply and to enhance rural...

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today said a proposal to award huge cash bonuses to MF Global executives to aid in the search for missing client funds following the firm’s bankruptcy is absurd. “This is not your ordinary Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” Roberts said. “The process to return customer funds to their...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee hearing on nutrition programs and the marketing of local and regional products, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member, today said all titles of the Farm Bill should be consolidated, streamlined and evaluated to determine the best use of taxpayer...

WASHINGTON, DC –U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, raised questions about the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative, saying it isn’t steeped in reality since most food Americans consume isn’t grown locally. “This report highlights...

WASHINGTON, DC – With less than 24 hours remaining before the Environmental Protection Agency begins enforcing their controversial and duplicative pesticide permitting rule, Senator Roberts called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to call up and approve compromise legislation to prevent costly fall-out for public health officials and...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today said roundtable discussions on customer collateral protections held by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) pre-judge the MF Global investigation and have limited participation by farmers and ranchers, many of whom are still missing their own funds in the wake of the...

WASHINGTON, DC –U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, today said the Conservation title of the 2012 Farm Bill should streamline programs while maintaining options for producers and eliminating burdensome regulations. “A single program will not meet the needs of all...

Washington, DC – Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Ranking Member Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Ks.) today urged the Internal Revenue Service to provide former MF Global customers, who may need to file their taxes with incomplete information, with guidance as income...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today fought to improve food security in the United States by securing further commitment from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that building a National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan,...