Friday U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) released his commentary on votes regarding the Senate Farm Bill and, as the senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

“After listening to the needs of Oklahoma’s agricultural community, I decided to vote in favor of the Senate Farm Bill,” Inhofe said.  “The Senate Farm Bill maintains a strong safety net for the farmers and ranchers of America who provide us with the safest and most abundant food supply in the world. Thankfully, numerous proposals were defeated during debate of the bill that would have undermined this safety net.

“I am pleased that the Senate adopted necessary and modernizing reforms within the Farm Bill.  It also reauthorized and strengthened rural development programs that continue to promote rural economic development across Oklahoma.”

“One important provision in the Senate bill provides transitional assistance to farmers to produce bioenergy crops, an issue Congressman Frank Lucas and I have worked together to accomplish.  While Oklahoma has long been a leader in oil and natural gas production, we are quickly emerging as a leader in the field of cellulosic biofuels.  Today, world-class scientists and farmers across Oklahoma are working to develop high-yield feedstocks to fuel cellulosic biorefineries.

“I am particularly pleased that the Senate Farm Bill includes two provisions addressing poultry waste, one of the most pressing issues facing Oklahoma agriculture.  Specifically, this bill includes my amendment authorizing the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to establish a ‘Poultry Sustainability Research Council’ aimed at identifying new ways to address poultry waste.  The Council will focus on the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the industry.  During a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, of which I am the Ranking Republican, Oklahoma State University Professor Mike Dicks testified about the need to harness the potential of this resource, rather than treating it simply as a waste.  There is great promise in creating energy from animal waste, and my amendment will ensure we pursue all options for utilizing this by-product.

“Likewise, I am also pleased the Senate Farm Bill designates, at my request, the Illinois River Watershed as one of the priority areas for regional water programs.  Such a designation makes the watershed eligible for coordinating various USDA conservation initiatives to work together to address the needs of northeastern Oklahoma.

“I look forward to a quick resolution between the House and Senate bills so that farmers and ranchers can begin the New Year with the certainty of a federal farm policy.”

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

“Providing for our national defense is one of the most important roles of our federal government,” Senator Inhofe said. “In order to maintain the world’s most formidable military, we must provide it with the best resources, support, and technology.  The threats we face in the world are varied and numerous, and we must have the best of everything to ensure our security.

“I am encouraged that the bill authorizes full funding of programs such as the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the KC-X tanker program, and Future Combat Systems’ Non-Line of Sight Cannon which will be integrated in Elgin, Oklahoma.   However, I am concerned that funding for Future Combat Systems was cut by $205 million, delaying future research, development, and procurement of this vital system.  FCS is the Army’s first ground combat modernization program in 40 years and is the core of our Army’s transformation strategy. I am further encouraged that the bill authorizes a 3.5% across-the-board pay raise for all uniformed personnel, and prohibits increases in certain health care costs and insurance co-payments.

“I am also pleased that the controversial Kennedy hate-crimes amendment was pulled out of the bill during conference. It had no place in a defense authorization bill, and was wisely removed.

“While this bill authorizes $696.4 billion for FY08 national defense, the base budget for the Department of Defense of $507 billion still falls short of what is needed.  In the 1990s, the Department of Defense base budget dropped significantly as a percentage of the United States’ Gross Domestic Product. Historically, defense spending has averaged 5.7% of GDP, but today, it is hovering somewhere around 3.6%. Considering the challenges we are facing in the world today, we need a defense budget that is at least 5% of GDP.

“In the bill, Congress fully authorized funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, Congress has failed to appropriate this money, and we will soon begin seeing the repercussions of this decision. Just today it was reported that 100,000 civilian employees are due to receive furlough letters next week to free up funds for ongoing operations. This will seriously hamper U.S. efforts around the world. It is vital that Congress fund ongoing operations in the War on Terror before recessing this Christmas.”