House panel creates disaster response team at USDA

The House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday approved a bill to create a disaster response team at the Agriculture Department.

The bill (H.R. 3157) would authorize the Agriculture secretary to develop and deploy a disaster response team to act as a liaison between local and state officials coordinating with other federal disaster agencies in response to a disaster area. The panel cleared the bill by voice vote.

Lawmakers said farmers and ranchers in their districts have a difficult time getting help from the assorted disaster agencies such as the Federal Emergency Response Agency and the National Guard when natural disasters strike crops and livestock. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., said the measure would allow the department to be "responsive in a coherent way" by establishing an official point of contact to coordinate with the agencies.

Ranking Democrat Charles Stenholm of Texas said while he supported the legislation, farmers and ranchers needed "more certainty" through loans and payments from the department due to what he said were "minimal disaster programs."

Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., agreed and said he planned to introduce a measure on Wednesday to create a permanent disaster program at the Agriculture Department. It would establish "something like FEMA" for farmers and ranchers, giving the department resources to provide payments similar to those included in unplanned emergency supplemental bills.

Lawmakers also noted the massive forest fires burning currently in California and highlighted a substitute amendment added wildfires to the list of federally declared natural disasters. The substitute amendment, which passed by voice vote, would also ensure disaster liaisons are deployed for no more than 30 days, among other minor changes.

GOP Rep. William Janklow, who served as South Dakota's governor for 16 years before winning his congressional seat in 2002, said during forest fires and floods in his state the Agriculture Department was the one federal agency that could not "legally be at the table" when disaster agencies were coordinating response efforts. The bill, he said, would "facilitate and save money in coordination" between the different agencies.