Farm Bill Field Hearing in Georgia

Senator Roberts recently joined with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) to participate in the first field hearing for the 2007 Farm Bill in Albany, GA. Senator Roberts said, "I have always believed that the most important thing we can do when crafting agriculture policy is to get out of Washington, travel out to the country and sit on the wagon tongue with our farmers and ranchers to find out exactly what they need to keep their operations profitable and to also allow the next generation of producers to enter the business." Several more field hearings are scheduled around the country in the coming months. Roberts will play a key role in shaping policy for the next Farm Bill.

Senator Roberts and Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) introduced legislation to impose tariffs on Japanese products if a date is not set to reopen the Japanese market to U.S. beef. At issue is the continued delay by the Japanese Food Safety Commission in resuming normal beef trade, based on internationally recognized science, after the discovery in January of spinal cord material in a single shipment of U.S. beef. "Until there is a specific date for actual trade to resume, and product is at port in Japan, it's not a done deal." Senator Roberts said. "We have been through this before and need to demonstrate to the Japanese that U.S. beef is safe."

Should Japan fail to reopen its market by August 31, 2006 the bill directs the U.S. Department of Treasury to impose additional tariffs on selected articles grown, produced or manufactured in Japan. The tariffs will continue until USTR can certify to Congress that Japan has indeed reopened its market to American beef.

A former Marine, Senator Roberts commended the Senate for passing a resolution he introduced to honor Patriot Guard Riders for shielding mourning military families from protesters, for preserving the memory of fallen service members and for preserving the dignity of their funerals.

The Patriot Guard originated in Kansas to shield military families from protesters at military funerals. Members would line up their motorcycles along funeral procession routes using their engines to drown out the noise and prevent interruptions of protestors. The group has since become a nationwide network of motorcycle organizations volunteering to attend funerals around the country.

In May, the Senate passed the Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act, a bill which Senator Roberts helped to introduce, to prohibit demonstrations and picketing of military funeral services held on federal land. Senator Roberts said, "As a former Marine, I am pleased the Senate acted to protect the dignity and honor of military funeral services. Loved-ones of our fallen men and women in uniform have already made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. We must allow them the opportunity to mourn without being thrust into a political circus."

As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Roberts has long been concerned about threats to our public health system, whether deliberate or naturally occurring. To improve responses to such crises, Senator Roberts and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced legislation last October tackling lessons learned from the influenza vaccine difficulties of past flu seasons to improve our response during a potential influenza pandemic. Some of these provisions were included in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, which was passed by the HELP Committee and now goes to the full Senate for a debate and vote.

The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act will improve medical surge capacity in local communities through the use of mobile medical assets and better training, support and organizational framework for health care providers. It will provides grants to states and individuals to improve the public health workforce in underserved areas, and will promote public health awareness to detect, deter or contain public health threats more rapidly.