Annual Trip to the State Fair

Senator Roberts visited the Kansas State Fair last weekend – and he brought along a special guest. He invited Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) to visit with Kansas producers about the new Farm Bill, the drought, the high cost of energy and general agriculture policy. The Senators participated in an Agriculture Forum moderated by 580 WIBW/Kansas Agriculture Network’s Greg Akagi at the fairgrounds.

Senator Roberts was pleased to show off the state to Senator Chambliss and to provide Kansas producers with the key Chairman’s insight on current agriculture policy and his outlook for the next Farm Bill. "Having served as House Agriculture Committee Chairman," Senator Roberts said, "I know that preparing for a Farm Bill is no easy task. Chairman Chambliss has been an outstanding champion for our agriculture producers, and I am pleased that he was able to sit on the wagon-tongue to hear the concerns Kansas farmers and ranchers firsthand."

To honor the five year anniversary of September 11, Senator Roberts joined his Congressional colleagues in a special commemoration on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Senator Roberts made the following statement on September 11^th:

"It is a time of remembrance and reflection for our country. We think of the fallen heroes- nearly 3,000- who lost their lives; and of their families who continue without them. Five years ago on this day, I was driving to my Senate office when I first heard of the attacks to our country on the radio. I will never forget that day - particularly watching the smoke rise from the Pentagon just a few miles away. Our world changed forever.

"Americans cannot be complacent about the real threats that we face. We have second-generation terrorists who may not be guided by Osama bin Laden, but certainly are inspired by him. Yes, we are safer, but are we safe to the degree we can say we’re not going to have any future challenges? That’s just not the case."

South Korea lifted its ban to U.S. beef from cattle under 30 months of age after Senator Roberts and 31 farm state Senators sent a letter to President Roh of the Republic of Korea to resolve the embargo. "This is welcome news for the Kansas beef industry and a step forward in normalizing trade with what previously was our third largest beef trade market. After two audits of our inspection system, Korean inspectors confirmed what we already knew - U.S. beef is safe. I am pleased South Korea has ended the embargo - this is great news for Kansas producers," Senator Roberts said. The beef industry is one of the largest industries in Kansas – representing over $5 billion in annual revenue. Kansas has 6.65 million head of cattle. Cattle represented 59 percent, over $6 billion, of the 2004 Kansas agricultural cash receipts.

After months of work, the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Chairman Pat Roberts, released two "Phase II" reports concerning pre-war intelligence on Iraq. The two reports are: The Postwar Findings about Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction and Weapons Programs and Links to Terrorism and How they Compare with Prewar Assessments, and The Use by the Intelligence Community of Information Provided by the Iraqi National Congress (INC).

Senator Roberts made the following statement:

"Overall, I am pleased the Committee was able to release these reports so the American people can have access to the information and decide for themselves what it means. We have heard highly-charged political rhetoric, but for the first time, the public can read the facts to decide wether the rhetoric was accurate. As we knew with "Phase I," it is a long known fact that the prewar intelligence was wrong. That flawed intelligence was used by policymakers, both in the administration and in Congress, as one of numerous justifications to go to war in Iraq. The same intelligence was collectively believed and used, leading to the same assertive public statements regarding the threat posed by Saddam Hussein."

To read more about the reports, please go to https://www.roberts.senate.gov .

Senator Roberts applauded the United States Department of the Treasury on their decision to help Kansas livestock producers who continue to be impacted by prolonged drought. The Internal Revenue Service will extend the capital gains tax deferral period for livestock producers who were forced to sell their livestock as a result of drought conditions in 2002. This announcement comes after Senator Roberts and 15 of his Senate colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Paulson earlier this month requesting relief for those ranchers who continue to face drought conditions. Current law provides a four year deferment period of the gain due to drought, provided that the individual reinvests in similar property. The Secretary of the Treasury has the authority to grant an extension to the tax deferment period, which IRS has done.