All but Cotton sign on to Farm Bill

US Senator Mark Pryor headed to Stuttgart on Friday to speak with more than 1,000 Arkansas farmers about his efforts to promote Arkansas’ agricultural economy. As chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Agriculture, Senator Pryor has worked across the aisle with Senate Republicans to successfully pass a comprehensive Farm Bill that gives certainty to Arkansas’ producers.

Meanwhile, as US Representative Tom Cotton gets set to announce his Senate candidacy Tuesday, it’s clear he’ll have to answer for being the only member of Arkansas’ congressional delegation to vote against the Farm Bill, further demonstrating that his priorities lie with fringe interests in Washington rather than hard-working Arkansans.

“Arkansans know that agriculture is the foundation of our economy, accounting for one out of every six jobs in our state, and that makes Tom Cotton’s opposition to the Farm Bill all the more outrageous,” said Jeff Weaver, Mark Pryor for Senate campaign manager. “While Senator Pryor has been a champion for Arkansas farmers, working across the aisle to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill, Tom Cotton stood against Arkansas farm families and voted it down.”

After the Farm Bill failed to pass the House of Representatives, Cotton’s fellow Arkansas Republicans voiced frustration and disappointment at members of Congress who, like Cotton, failed to recognize the bill’s importance for farm families and rural communities.

BACKGROUND:

H R 1947, the comprehensive, bipartisan Farm Bill, failed to pass the House by a vote of 195-234 on June 20, 2013: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll286.xml]

S.954, the comprehensive Farm Bill (Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013) to reauthorize agricultural programs through 2018 passed the Senate 66-27 on June 10, 2013: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00145]