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Hurst on stalled disaster bill

Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst says the stalled disaster bill in the House should not have been held up Friday for a lack of border security funding, “No, I mean it’s a disaster bill. It should be concerned with disaster programs for the many disasters that people across the United States have suffered.”

Texas Republican Freshman Chip Roy asked for a roll call vote with most members out of the chamber for the holiday weekend and complained there was no border wall funding in the bill.

Hurst says he’s confident the bill WILL pass but it needs to happen sooner than later to help farmers who can’t get trade aid payments because of prevented planting, “Prevented planted provisions (in the disaster bill) are a good thing. I know that Senator Blunt was instrumental in getting those included. If they’re delayed, then it’s going to affect peoples’ decisions assuming they get a chance to start the tractor up in the next week.”

Hurst likes the method of payments in the new trade aid plan but says it is lacking specifics.