OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR., A 

 REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF 

 GEORGIA 



Mr. Bishop. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Let me add 

 my voice to those who applaud the timehness of this hearing. There 

 are some problems that exist in Georgia concerning the disaster re- 

 lief program; but before we get into that, following with Mr. We- 

 ber's testimony, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sec- 

 retary Espy, Mr. Weber, ASCS, for the tremendous job that has 

 been done by the Department to assist farmers in Georgia and 

 throughout the country. 



Of course we had the floods, we had precipitation in Georgia in 

 the spring, and we had drought this summer; and our farmers have 

 really suffered tremendously. And we are just most appreciative for 

 the Secretary's visit last month. We are very appreciative for the 

 timeliness in which the disaster claims were processed and the 

 turnaround time for the delivery of checks, well within the 2-week 

 target that the Secretary had placed on the Department. And Geor- 

 gia farmers are very pleased. 



But at the appropriate time following Mr. Weber's testimony, I 

 would like to raise some questions that have arisen as a result of 

 some of the peanut claims, as well as some of the cotton claims, 

 that have arisen from the Georgia farmers. 



With that, Mr. Chairman, I would just like to thank you. 



Mr. Johnson. The gentleman from North Dakota, does he have 

 any opening remarks? 



OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. EARL POMEROY, A REP- 

 RESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH 

 DAKOTA 



Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate you holding this hear- 

 ing. I think it is extremely important that we look at the issues to 

 be covered in the course of this hearing. 



I want to express my appreciation to the USDA representatives 

 that are here, particularly those from the ASCS. 



We have had concerns that the disaster compensation accounted, 

 perhaps, for diminished bushel output but did not adequately com- 

 pensate for the quality discounts taken by producers on the bushels 

 they were actually able to bring in. 



Earlier versions of the loss adjustment formulas I found as mys- 

 tifying as anything since college calculus. I think that they have 

 continued to work away at it; and, in fact, I guess just this morning 

 we will learn of their latest revised loss adjustment formula, which 

 I think is one that will make some sense to the farmers working 

 with ASCS to determine loss adjustments. 



It is in this area that I think their work was so important. The 

 Secretary has been in this room talking about working for a farm- 

 er-friendly USDA. In the course of this disaster, we have seen 

 questions raised in terms of the adequacy of disaster loss proce- 

 dures. Looks like things are a little better than I thought they were 

 even a week ago, Mr. Chairman. 



I will be listening with great interest on these topics this morn- 

 ing. Thank you. 



