‘People Are Scared To Death Right Now’: Jim Justice Highlights Urgency Of Agriculture Industry Reform

Forbes Breaking News

During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing prior to the Congressional recess, Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) spoke about the U.S. agriculture industry.

Transcript

00:00producers of all size. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman.

00:06Senator Justice.

00:10Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:14Well, we're all doing a lot of running right now. You know that. But

00:18Dudley Hoskins and Dr. Scott Hutchins,

00:25I can tell you without any question,

00:30we need you in place, and we need you in place right now.

00:34Your duties are going to be unbelievable. And I hope that you really, truly know that

00:41and won't go through the motions, but you will really

00:45try to do what Muhammad Ali, of all people, said

00:49years and years ago. He shook up the world.

00:53And that's really what we really need to be doing. Now just think about this.

00:58You know, a lot of times I don't put these notes together.

01:02But our folks, you know, just jotted down

01:05just a few notes. But think about

01:08one of the notes says

01:11one U.S. farmer feeds

01:13169 people in this country or

01:16in the world.

01:19It says agriculture are lifeblood.

01:22It says things like how critical the research of our land-grant universities are.

01:32With all that being said,

01:34you know, Mr. Hoskins, you said earlier, you know, that your dad would have said,

01:38you know, wow, the good Lord created the earth

01:41or the universe in seven days, the earth.

01:45And with all that being said, but still hasn't figured out the cattle market.

01:50But I can positively guarantee you that in the last couple of years,

01:55the good Lord figured out the cattle market.

01:58Because the cattle market is moved and it's moved in a great way.

02:02We need the same thing to happen for all of our folks in agriculture.

02:07You know, see, my family's been in the agriculture business forever.

02:10And I truly know exactly what's going on out there.

02:15You know, you've got a lot of people that are scared to death right now.

02:19We need your marketing arm.

02:21We need absolutely in every way for you to step up

02:24and really make that difference to where you are

02:28shaking up the whole world.

02:30You know, with all that being said,

02:32I would say to you

02:34from the bottom of my heart,

02:36it is so important.

02:39It is so unbelievably important today

02:42that we get a farm bill,

02:45that we absolutely put our great farmers

02:48to where they can at least rest

02:51while they're doing the most unbelievable work.

02:55You know, so like I said,

02:57I've run from boat to boat or whatever

03:01and committee to committee

03:02in a lot of different directions today.

03:05I wanted to speak because

03:06I think our chairman is a superstar.

03:10That's all there is to it.

03:12And there's so many, you know,

03:14whether it be your ranking members

03:15or other folks on the committee here

03:19that do great work.

03:20But all these people out here

03:23depend now on you

03:25in every way.

03:27So don't let us down.

03:29Have an unbelievable passion

03:31for what you're doing.

03:33You know, one of the things,

03:34I am really,

03:36not only am I a business guy,

03:40I'm not a politician.

03:42You know, I am really proud of the fact

03:45of how in tune that I am

03:48with our farming industry

03:49all across this great land.

03:51But with that said,

03:53in addition to that,

03:54I'm a conservationist.

03:56I have done so many programs

03:58for wildlife,

03:59it's unbelievable.

04:00You know, and the only question

04:02I think that I could possibly ask,

04:04you know, of all

04:05is just one thing.

04:08In the state of West Virginia,

04:09we're trying to reintroduce elk

04:11into West Virginia.

04:13And my question here

04:14would be just this,

04:15is what steps,

04:17what additional steps

04:19can be taken

04:19to the survivability

04:21of this majestic creature

04:24that is being absolutely

04:26reintroduced

04:26into West Virginia today.

04:28So, Mr. Hoskins,

04:29maybe that's a question for you, sir.

04:32Yeah.

04:33Thank you for that question, Senator.

04:36I just,

04:37and Dr. Hutchins

04:38may have other equities here

04:39under the ARS umbrella,

04:42but my recollection,

04:44working with APHIS

04:45and the first Trump administration

04:46under Secretary Perdue,

04:48there are some protocols

04:50and processes

04:51that Veterinary Services

04:52works with stakeholder groups

04:55and state veterinarians

04:56to facilitate the transfer

04:58and reintroduction

04:59of certain species,

05:00including elk.

05:02So, all I could say,

05:04if I were confirmed,

05:05I would do my level best

05:07to ensure APHIS and V.S.

05:09were working closely

05:10with the state

05:11animal health officials

05:12and the stakeholders

05:13interested in promoting

05:16that relocation

05:18and introduction

05:19to facilitate that

05:21in a way

05:22that did not compromise

05:22animal health.

05:24Well, thank you both.

05:26I know you'll do great work

05:28and I'll stand ready

05:29to try to help

05:30any way it possibly can.

05:31Mr. Chairman, thank you.

05:32Thank you, Senator.

05:34Thank you, Senator Justice.

05:36Senator Welsh.

05:38Thank you very much.

Category

Transcript

Recommended