Marshall considered blocking disaster aid bill

May 31-- May 31--U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, said he considered trying to block a $19 billion disaster aid bill.

However, he wasn't in House chambers when the bill came up.

Two Republicans -- U.S. Reps. Chip Roy, of Texas, and Thomas Massie, of Kentucky -- thwarted the disaster aid bill passed earlier by the Senate and intended to help those affected by fires, flooding and hurricanes. On May 24, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, a House Democrat asked for the unanimous consent of the disaster aid package. Roy voiced opposition, blocking the bill and expressing dissatisfaction, in part, with the maneuver to pass it without a full House. On May 28, the Tuesday following the holiday, another attempt for unanimous consent was blocked by Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky.

"I respect what they did and even considered doing it myself," Marshall said in a conference call with the press Thursday.

He did not mention he was not in the House chambers, but when The News asked Marshall's staff later if Marshall had been there, staff said he had not.

No agricultural producers should make a decision until the ink is dry on this disaster aid package, Marshall cautioned during the conference call.

Marshall criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, over the disaster aid bill and for the still-pending United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal.

"My number one legislative priority right now," he said, is to get USMCA through the House and on to the Senate. Pelosi's requests to lift tariffs and to see stronger labor laws in Mexico have been achieved, he said.

"She's holding the president hostage right now," Marshall said. Marshall mentioned an earlier meeting with President Donald Trump, and Marshall said he was "overwhelmed with the depth of his knowledge" on agriculture and how the trade wars have affected farmers.

Marshall thinks there are votes in the House to pass USMCA. He also said the trade agreement with this country's neighbors is more important than a China trade deal, because of trade volume with Mexico and Canada.

Marshall was buoyed by optimism he saw recently in the agricultural sector in northwest Kansas.

"I saw some optimism that I hadn't seen in a while," he said. Wheat and corn prices are up, some tariffs are coming off in Mexico, and there will be expanded access to the beef market in Japan, he noted.

There are "rays of hope," he said. He also expressed hope that federal aid for farmers affected by the trade wars should reach them in August.

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