Fortenberry: passing farm bill will help farmers & livestock pro - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

The best way to help farmers hit hard by the drought is to pass the farm bill, according to one Nebraska Congressman.

Representative Jeff Fortenberry told a crowd at a town hall meeting in Norfolk Wednesday night that the five year farm bill would help revitalize livestock programs that provide much needed relief.

The republican member of the House Ag Committee said while the bill is not perfect yet, it takes a balanced approach.

"It has basic stabilization policies for farmers and ranchers. It also provides protection in the nutrition programs for those who are in vulnerable circumstances , but also cuts the budget. Everybody is going to have to do their part here and I thought the House Bill actually does a better job than the Senate Bill in that regard," said Rep. Fortenberry.

Fortenberry says he hopes a farm bill can be passed in short amount of time so risk management, and more robust crop insurance, are in place for the long term.

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