WATCH: Sen. Ossoff Presses Both Parties on Urgency of Agricultural Disaster Assistance for Georgia

VIDEO FOOTAGE: Sen. Ossoff testifies before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations

"We must refuse the temptation to delay or to get dragged into politics. We must swiftly pass disaster assistance by the end of the year," Sen. Ossoff testifies

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff today pressed both parties on the urgency of passing agricultural disaster assistance for Georgia before the end of the year.

This morning, Sen. Ossoff testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations on the urgent need to support Georgia agriculture after the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene.

"The numbers are staggering, but this isn't about numbers. It's about families and rural communities, and without our help, the simple fact is that many of these family farms will fold, and they may fold soon. They're staring at devastated farmland and orchards, they're deep in the red, and they're under immense stress. If they go under, our rural communities go under. The local tax base funding schools and infrastructure is destroyed. And the rural way of life in Georgia risks disappearing altogether,"Sen. Ossoff testified.

"We must refuse the temptation to delay or to get dragged into politics. We must swiftly pass disaster assistance by the end of the year. My constituents and Americans in every state hit by this terrible storm and hit by natural disasters for the last several years are counting on all of us," Sen. Ossoff continued.

In September, in the days after Hurricane Helene, Sen. Ossoff and Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08), alongside Georgia's entire Congressional Delegation, led a bipartisan, bicameral group of 34 lawmakers from Southeastern states urging Congressional Leadership to ensure disaster relief resources are made available to agricultural producers following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene.

Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff's full testimony.

Please find a transcript of Sen. Ossoff's testimony below:

SEN. OSSOFF: "Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, thank you for this opportunity to brief the Committee on the dire conditions faced by Georgia farmers in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

"Georgia farmers, and farmers in neighboring states, are suffering deeply, and Congress must proceed urgently to pass disaster relief by the end of the year.

"Georgia agriculture was devastated by this hurricane, and I respectfully urge this Committee to swiftly send the full Senate a disaster relief bill that includes vital assistance for Georgia farmers, who are in acute distress and who are the backbone of Georgia's rural communities and our State's economy.

"Hurricane-force winds and torrential rains destroyed fall crops still in the field, knocked down pecan orchards that growers spent decades cultivating, and damaged a million and a half acres of timberland - a million and a half acres of timberland.

"In addition to the agricultural devastation, Georgia suffered severe damage to the power grid, to businesses, housing, roads, and other critical infrastructure.

"Virtually every crop and commodity produced in Georgia has been seriously damaged, including poultry, cotton, timber, beef cattle, blueberries, pecans, peanuts, tobacco, vegetables, citrus, soybeans, nursery crops, and dairy.

"The Georgia Pecan Growers Association reports that 48,000 acres of pecan orchards were damaged with a loss of nearly 400,000 trees.

"Pecan growers like Scott Hudson, a fifth-generation family farmer whose family also runs a cleaning and processing plant, faces 60-70 percent crop loss and 20-30 percent tree loss for their older trees, which will take 10-20 years to replace.

"Taylor and Arren Moses in Uvalda estimate that they've lost 85 percent of their 800 acres of trees. They won't be able to save a single tree from the first orchard they planted in 2007.

"The Georgia Poultry Federation reports that 495 poultry houses took significant damage, including 295 that were completely lost.

"Vann Wooten, a county commissioner in Jeff Davis County, who's raised chickens for 31 years, saw all 10 of his chicken houses destroyed, many with birds still inside. Without our help, he isn't sure now whether he'll be able to return to raising chickens.

"The University of Georgia estimates that Georgia vegetable producers lost 25-30 percent of the fall crop. T.J. Moore's grandfather started farming in 1964. Now, he, his brother, and their parents grow green beans, eggplant, bell peppers, cucumbers, and more, and due to the storm, they expect this fall to sell less than 30 percent of their normal crop.

"In Clinch County, blueberries make up 35 percent of the loan portfolio at the local bank. In some of State Senator Russ Goodman's fields, a full quarter of the plants are broken off and blown over, which will also hurt next year's crop.

"I emphasize again, one and a half million acres of Georgia timberland have been damaged, and we're projected to have lost 500,000-600,000 bales of cotton, or nearly one-third of our cotton crop.

"Colleagues, the numbers are staggering, but this isn't about numbers. It's about families and rural communities, and without our help, the simple fact is that many of these family farms will fold, and they may fold soon.

"They're staring at devastated farmland and orchards, they're deep in the red, and they're under immense stress.

"If they go under, our rural communities go under. The local tax base funding schools and infrastructure is destroyed and the rural way of life in Georgia risks disappearing altogether.

"We know what we need to do, and the fact that my colleague, Senator Tillis and I are here before you, a Democrat and a Republican, urging speed to achieve this essential goal, I hope, is testimony to the urgency of bipartisan action before the end of the year.

"We must refuse the temptation to delay or to get dragged into politics.

"We must swiftly pass disaster assistance by the end of the year.

"My constituents and Americans in every state hit by this terrible storm and hit by natural disasters for the last several years are counting on all of us.

"And that's why I'm so grateful again, Chair Murray and Vice Chair Collins and members of the Committee, for the privilege of appearing before you today."

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