chain link fences, although a legislative remedy was passed in 

 July, the Department has yet to release this funding. 



Even more perplexing, was the Department's determination to 

 reverse a long-standing policy against making disaster payments 

 on quality issues. The Department released excess disaster assist- 

 ance funding intended for the hurricanes and typhoon to make pay- 

 ments on quality losses for corn. While many of us in Congress 

 were concerned about these quality losses, the Department's action 

 was clearly carried out at the expense of producers who suffered 

 damage due to Hurricanes Andrew, Iniki, and Typhoon Omar and 

 received only 50 cents on the dollar. Instead of making an addi- 

 tional payment to producers who sustained losses due to natural 

 disaster, excess funding was released for quality losses. 



When 25 of my House and Senate colleagues brought this con- 

 cern to the attention of Secretary Espy back in June, we received 

 a pitiful response informing us that we were out of luck. 



It has come to my attention that a number of problems are sur- 

 facing for Iowa's nursery industry concerning disaster assistance 

 for the Midwest flooding. For example, I understand that flooded 

 nurseries, unlike nurseries destroyed by hurricanes, are not eligible 

 for assistance under the tree assistance program. 



Let me make it very clear these problems have existed through- 

 out both administrations. This is not a partisan issue, but an issue 

 of responsiveness. Regardless of the disaster or the State, the situ- 

 ation clearly illustrates the inconsistencies in disaster assistance 

 programs for specialty crops. 



I am hopeful we can clarify some of these issues and discuss so- 

 lutions to these very critical problems. 



We are still trying to get these problems resolved. Representative 

 Mink has the same problem in Hawaii. We still have these same 

 problems in the Midwest. I think it is high time that we have a 

 universal system. If we are going to have disaster assistance, let's 

 fix these problems or let's stay away from it completely. 



Thank you. 



Mrs. Thurman. Thank you. I believe part of the reason for these 

 hearings is because of exactly what has happened and it is to get 

 something into the record so that when we go into negotiations in 

 the next couple of years, that we will have this kind of testimony 

 available to us with the record to be able to try to clear up some 

 of these issues. 



Mr. Lewis. 



Mr. Lewis. I would like to commend Congresswoman Mink and 

 Mr. Strong for coming before us to show that this is not a one-sided 

 argument. This is the situation that cuts across all of us in our con- 

 gressional district and it is most important that these things be 

 taken care of. 



I guess it is down right criminal when you start thinking about 

 one commodity receiving a 100 percent payment and other com- 

 modities receiving a 50 percent factored payment in a disaster situ- 

 ation. It should be 100 percent for everybody or 50 percent for ev- 

 erybody. At least they should know that. They are living under 

 false apprehensions. 



Hawaiian crops certainly parallel some of the crops in Florida. I 

 believe it is high time that this went on the record and we started 



