01/12/06 Frist talks ag at Farm Bureau meet

Farm and Ranch January 12, 2006 U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is promising lots of action in the Senate this year on issues important to agriculture. Frist spoke at this week's annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation in Nashville, Tennessee. Frist: "The sorts of things like even litigation reform, getting rid of that death tax, extension of the tax cuts, regulatory reform to take off that burden on America's farmers, and opening of trade. We are going to be doing all of that this year." Frist said he shared farmers' and ranchers' concerns about rising energy costs and would work to decrease America's dependence on foreign oil while building reliance on domestic sources of energy. He said "America needs America's energy." The Republican Senate leader, who is a medical doctor, also said rural health care is a policy area that desperately needs reform. Frist pledged his support for increasing the number of health care centers in rural areas. On immigration Frist said he would work to develop and pass legislation that strengthens current immigration laws while recognizing the specific labor needs of agriculture. As for work on the 2007 farm bill; Frist: "In terms of the farm bill itself, the legislation of the farm bill will not be in this congress but will be in the next congress but we'll continue that dialogue we are having right now with the farmers to prepare for that legislation in the next congress." I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.