Today, Americans in rural communities face special challenges in finding good jobs at good wages, providing their children with quality education, finding high-quality affordable health care and meeting transportation and communications needs.
Throughout his career in public service, John Kerry has worked to give rural Americans the chance to build a better life for themselves and their children. He has worked to give family farmers a fair shot in competing with large corporations. He proposed and helped pass a plan making low-interest loans available to many rural small businesses hit by droughts, and he helped pass important reforms in crop and flood insurance to strengthen federal disaster assistance for rural communities.

Together, John Kerry and John Edwards will stand up for the voice and values of rural America. They will expand health care coverage, improve conservation efforts, support small farmers and their families, fight for truth in labeling practices, increase access to advanced technology, and encourage federal investment in renewable energy sources and technologies that will spur job growth and create the "cash crops" of tomorrow.

John Kerry and John Edwards will:

Strengthen The Rural Economy
John Kerry and John Edwards will cut middle-class taxes, cut health care, education and energy costs, and restore fiscal discipline in Washington. The Kerry-Edwards economic policies will unleash the productive potential of America's economy to help create jobs in rural America and give our farmers the support they need to compete and thrive in today's economy.

Improve And Expand Rural Health Care
John Kerry and John Edwards understand that Americans in rural areas face special challenges in finding high-quality, affordable health care, and he has fought to make Washington responsive to their needs. They will guarantee that Americans in rural areas have access to the same range of affordable, high-quality health care plans available to members of Congress.

Strengthen Education For Our Communities
Rural Americans - like all Americans - deserve access to high-quality public education. As president, John Kerry will fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act in order to address the real challenges rural schools face, such as the inaccessibility of professional development programs for rural teachers and the difficulty in recruiting teachers in rural areas.

Defend America
Americans on the frontlines - our first responders, military forces, sheriffs, policemen, firefighters, and civil defense volunteers - must have the very best equipment, training and support possible. Our safety and freedom are the envy of the world and John Kerry and John Edwards will ensure this does not change. A Kerry-Edwards administration will recruit more law enforcement and emergency professionals, combat Meth labs and drug abuse, and build a stronger judicial and prison system in rural areas.



Engage 200,000 Americans A Year In "Service For College"
John Kerry and John Edwards will offer a simple deal to hundreds of thousands of America's young people: if you will serve for two years in one of America's toughest and most important jobs, we will cover four years of tuition at a typical public university.

Engage 300,000 College Students A Year In Helping Our Children Learn
John Kerry and John Edwards will call on America's college students to join a national crusade to help America's children succeed in school and get to college. In return for their service, our young people will receive up to $2,000 per year to pay for college.

Pay For College And Service By Letting The Market Set Rates For Loans
Today's student loan program effectively guarantees billions in profits to banks at the expense of American taxpayers. John Kerry and John Edwards will introduce market forces to overhaul guaranteed student loans, saving taxpayers billions without charging students a penny more. Their plan will reward lenders with low costs and high-quality service - not political clout.

Engage Seniors In Service To Build A Stronger America
To help strengthen future generations of Americans, we need our seniors' help. John Kerry and John Edwards support existing programs that offer avenues for senior volunteer service and they will support innovative new models that create even more opportunities for seniors to serve their communities. When seniors spend time tutoring they free up over-strained teachers to teach, and children get extra help learning. And older Americans can help other seniors in ways no other Americans can.

A Plan To Strengthen Rural America

Throughout his career in public service, John Kerry has been a voice and a champion for rural America. He has stood with family farmers, supported disaster relief, and helped improve rural economies by boosting small business support and expanded transportation plans.

John Kerry and John Edwards will ensure that rural Americans have a voice in Washington. They will expand health care coverage, support conservation efforts, provide support to small farmers and their families, improve access to technology, and encourage federal investment in renewable energy sources and technologies that will spur job growth and create the "cash crops" of tomorrow.

Support America's Farmers. John Kerry supported improvements in the 2002 Farm Bill, such as increased conservation funding, rural community development and stronger nutrition provisions. And he has supported programs that create markets for farmers like the Farmers' Market Nutrition Programs for Seniors and WIC. As president, John Kerry will fight for increased funding for agriculture conservation programs and the value-added development grant program, which can help rural communities grow their economies and protect their environment.

Invest In Renewable Energy. John Kerry has been a strong supporter of renewable fuels, including ethanol, biomass, and biodiesel. John Kerry believes that renewable energy, grown on America's farms and produced in producer-owned facilities, must be part of America's energy future. It will reduce pollution, spur economic development, and reduce our dependence on Mideast oil. As president, John Kerry will ensure that the federal government leads the way towards these goals by funding research and development and creating a national market for renewable fuels.

Work For Fair Treatment Of Family And Small Farms. Small farmers deserve a fair chance to sell their livestock on the open market. John Kerry supported a ban on packer ownership of livestock, which drives small- and family-owned producers out of business. And he has voted to limit the proliferation of animal confinements, which produce more pollution and put family operations at a disadvantage. As president, John Kerry will continue to fight to ensure that small farmers and their families are treated fairly.

Ensure Prompt And Fair Disaster Relief. Farmers are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and economic downturns. John Kerry has consistently fought for disaster relief to help address the severe drought, floods and natural disasters that have plagued farmers and ranchers across the nation. In 2002, Congress passed John Kerry's proposal making low-interest loans available to many rural small businesses adversely affected by droughts. John Kerry has also helped pass important reforms in crop and flood insurance, and he understands that a strong system of federal disaster assistance can help rural communities get back on their feet and back in business soon. As president, John Kerry will ensure that Americans in rural communities will always receive prompt and fair disaster relief.

Strengthen Rural Economies With Good Jobs At Good Wages. John Kerry and John Edwards understand that revitalizing rural communities requires capital, infrastructure, and technology. John Kerry has boosted the amount of small business assistance available to rural entrepreneurs. He has supported rural transportation initiatives that would expand Amtrak's service to more of America's rural cities and towns. John Kerry has also consistently supported the Essential Air Service program, which ensures that rural airports maintain an adequate level of service. As president, John Kerry will enact a plan to spur job growth in rural communities, and give Americans there access to better training, better jobs and better wages.

Improve And Expand Rural Health Care. Americans in rural areas face special challenges in securing affordable, high-quality health care with premiums rising by more than 40 percent over the past four years and prescription drug prices increasing faster than inflation. As a senator, John Kerry fought to restore cuts to rural health care programs and will work to address inequitable Medicare reimbursement rates that hurt rural hospitals, healthcare providers and seniors. John Kerry proposed increasing funding for community health centers and rural health clinics so that rural communities have greater access to health care services. John Kerry introduced and passed the Nurse Reinvestment Act, designed to help rural hospitals and health care providers that are struggling to find qualified nurses.

As president, John Kerry will cut family premiums by up to $1,000, oppose efforts that force seniors to join HMOs in order to receive prescription drug coverage because he understands that this effectively denies prescription drug coverage to many seniors in rural areas. In a Kerry-Edwards administration, seniors in rural areas will have access to the same range of high-quality, affordable health care options as seniors nationwide.

Bridge The Digital Divide. Internet access - and broadband access in particular - can bring much needed education and health care resources to rural communities. But today, rural communities' access to this technology lags far behind that available in suburbs and urban areas. John Kerry has been a leader in advocating federal policies to bring broadband technology to rural communities, including the E-rate program designed to help poorer school districts afford technology and Internet access. As president, he will continue to be a champion of expanded access for rural communities, to bridge the digital divide and ensure that all Americans have access to the opportunities that come with cutting-edge technology.

Support Rural Conservation Efforts. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that good conservation practices are important to our nation's farm policy. They will ensure that valuable conservation programs like the Wetlands Reserve Program and the Conservation Reserve Program receive adequate funding and provide our farmers with the resources they need to be the best possible stewards of the land.

Fighting For Farmers

John Kerry and John Edwards are committed to helping American family farmers and ranchers compete in today’s global agricultural economy. They understand that farmers and ranchers must be given the opportunity to make a fair profit in the marketplace. As president, John Kerry will ensure family farmers and ranchers are treated fairly here at home by banning unfair and anticompetitive practices, like packer ownership of livestock, and he supports mandatory country of origin labeling to help consumers buy U.S. food and agricultural products instead of foreign imports. He is dedicated to maintaining a strong safety net to protect against low prices, improvements in the risk management programs and emergency federal disaster assistance to help farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and entire rural communities get back on their feet and back in business soon.

John Kerry will fight concentration and vertical integration, develop local, sustainable food systems, enhance conservation measures, and fight for fair trade policies.

Fighting Concentration And Vertical Integration

America’s meat producers and processors are becoming more concentrated: Since 1982, the nation has lost more than 80 percent of its pork producers; the top four pork processors now control nearly 60 percent of the market; and the top four beef packers now control 81 percent of that market. This concentration in the market is leaving independent producers with few options for selling their product. Over the last decade this problem has been compounded by vertical integration by corporate farms, which allows them to control most or all aspects of production. A Kerry-Edwards administration will restore competition to the market and ensure family farmers receive fair treatment.

• Ban on Packer Ownership. As president, John Kerry will fight for a balanced ban on packer ownership to protect small, family farmers.
  

• Eliminate discriminatory pricing. Under George W. Bush, the USDA has not provided transparent information about contract deals with packers. Small and independent farmers deserve a Department of Agriculture that takes seriously their need to investigate price discrimination of smaller producers. As president, John Kerry will ensure that independent farmers are protected from discriminatory pricing.

Developing Local Food Systems: Local Food For Local Communities

Developing local food systems can preserve agricultural land, strengthen communities, encourage sustainable agricultural practices, support local food producers, and facilitate the production and distribution of locally-produced food through farmer's markets and cooperative food buying programs. John Kerry wants to incorporate a “whole systems” approach to U.S. agriculture policy.

• Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL). Congress enacted a national country-of-origin food labeling program which requires grocery stores to label fresh meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, and peanuts with the country in which it was grown and processed. George Bush has stopped this important program from being implemented as a favor to the big meat industry. As president, John Kerry will ensure that COOL is implemented as Congress intended.
  

• Increase in Funding for Value Added Agriculture. John Kerry believes we must address the continuing drop in the share of the food system profit that farmers are able to claim. The Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program provides capital for farmers to create value-added enterprises and cooperatives, such as onsite or farmer owned processing plants, and value-enhancing production techniques like organic farming. John Kerry will restore the Bush administration funding cuts for this important program.
  

• Funding for the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). John Kerry authored the legislation that created the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which enables WIC clients and seniors to buy safe and healthy domestically grown vegetables and fruits. Annually an estimated 2.7 million people purchase fruits and vegetables from 14,400 farmers at more than 2,000 community-based farmers’ markets, farm stands, and Community-Supported Agriculture Programs. Local farmers benefit from this program through sales of fresh seasonal produce. The community benefits from a strengthened economy. As president, John Kerry will continue his strong support for this important program.
  

• Incentives for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSA is a partnership between farmers and community members working together to create a local food system that produces fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and fibers directly for local community members. CSA members commit to a full-season price in the spring, sharing the risks of production. With this upfront support, farmers can concentrate on growing good food and caring for the land. In return, members know where their food comes from and how it is grown. As president, John Kerry will support existing CSA incentives and identify additional means of support.

Enhancing Conservation Measures

Investing in agriculture conservation projects has a double benefit: greater protection of our country’s natural resources and greater income security for American farmers and rural communities facing challenging economic conditions. John Kerry supports agriculture policies which will align our nation’s conservation needs with farmers’ needs as they face global competition and new demands from consumers.

• Improve the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP is an important tool to help farmers build, plan, and operate manure management systems and to implement management practices designed to improve soil, water, or air quality. Unfortunately, payment limitations under this program have increased allowing large CAFOs to receive EQIP funds and decreasing the amount available for independent family farmers. John Kerry believes that EQIP funding should be directed to family farmers
  

• Funding Conservation Programs. There are no better stewards of the land than people who rely on the productivity of the land. To help farmers live up to newer and higher environmental standards, a Kerry-Edwards administration will expand our programs, which provide financial assistance to our family farmers to encourage sound conservation, such as the Conservation, Wetlands and Grasslands Reserve Programs, the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program and the Farmland Protection Program. Senator Tom Harkin’s tremendous leadership provided an 80% increase for voluntary conservation programs over the next 10 years – more than any other farm bill in history. George Bush has fallen short on his commitment to family farmers and conservation by inadequately implementing many of the programs and slashing funds for them. As president, John Kerry will fairly implement and fully fund these important conservation programs.
  

  • Conservation Security Program. All too often family farmers are competing with corporate businesses. John Kerry supports improving income on America’s farms and combining support for conservation. The Conservation Security Program facilitates voluntary conservation on private lands in production by providing incentive payments to farmers for maintaining and adopting conservation practices that fit into their operation. These programs enable farmers to continue being the good stewards of the land that they have always been, rewards farmers who already use these practices, and encourages adoption of new conservation practices.
    

  • Open Fields. John Kerry supports efforts in Congress to provide farmers with payments for voluntary public access to private lands. He will work to pass legislation to provide farmers with payments for opening their land to hunting, fishing, birding, and related outdoor activities. As president, John Kerry will make this win-win proposal a priority -- it’s a win for family farmers and a win for rural residents who enjoy the outdoors.
    

  • Technical Assistance George Bush wants to cut technical assistance to the thousands of America's farmers and ranchers who want to practice good stewardship on their land. Less conservation applied to the land jeopardizes water, air, and soil quality. As president, John Kerry will provide full funding for technical assistance but he won’t do it by robbing other important conservation programs to pay for it.

Trade That Works For America’s Family Farmers

George Bush’s lack of leadership and failed attempts at international diplomacy have negative consequences for our country every day. Not only have his policies made bringing American soldiers back home from Iraq more challenging, but they have impacted our trade relationships making it more difficult to negotiate good trade deals for farmers. The real casualties in the trade war are American farmers. Relationships must be repaired. International diplomacy must be restored. As president, John Kerry will provide strong leadership and work with the international community, not against them, and assure that the global economy works for America’s family farmers.

• Assure Trading Partners Play by the Rules. The United States and Mexico made commitments with the signing of NAFTA. Both countries must abide by those commitments. Mexico's continued pattern of not meeting its international trade obligations is unacceptable. Commodities affected by Mexico's recent actions and threatened actions include pork, corn, high fructose corn syrup, beef, rice, apples, and dry beans. The first four of these products are produced by Iowa. As a result of Mexico's protectionist actions, the corn refining industry has idled capacity, lost jobs, and experienced significant losses in profitability yet the Bush administration has done little to nothing to fix the problem. As president, John Kerry will fight to assure trading partners play by the rules.
  

  • Milk Protein Concentrates. The flood of milk protein concentrate imports that is harming U.S. dairy farmers must be addressed. Unfortunately, no action has been taken by George Bush to close the tariff loophole that allows these products into this country. For that reason, John Kerry will work to pass the Milk Import Tariff Equity Act, a bipartisan bill which corrects the loophole in U.S. trade law that allows MPCs to flood into the country.
    

  • Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The free trade agreement that was signed by George Bush marks a disappointing and unnecessary step backwards in our nation's efforts to ensure that opening markets results in higher living standards on all sides and not a race to the bottom on worker rights and environmental protection. Therefore I will oppose the CAFTA as currently negotiated by President Bush. As president, John Kerry will work hard to strengthen our economic and political ties with our neighbors in Central America. He will bring us back to the negotiating table to develop an agreement that provides economic benefits, creates jobs and includes strong protections for labor and the environment.

   

• Review Existing Trade Agreements. As president, John Kerry will order an immediate 120 day review of all existing trade agreements to ensure that our trade partners are living up to their labor and environment obligations and that trade agreements are enforceable and are balanced. John Kerry will not sign any new trade agreements until the review is complete and its recommendations put in place. He believes all new trade agreements must have strong labor and environmental standards.
  

• Develop New Markets. U.S. negotiators have the flexibility to initiate or enter into new bilateral or regional trade negotiations that can open foreign markets to U.S. agricultural exports. A Kerry-Edwards administration will work to develop stronger trade relations with many countries that are adopting meaningful economic and trade policy reforms, including those in Sub-Saharan Africa and other emerging markets.

Improving Public Health And Assuring Strong Beef Market

Recent reports about the Bush USDA’s handling of mad cow, beef imports, and BSE testing have underscored the significant need for a renewed effort to protect American consumers. As president, John Kerry will improve our food safety and inspection process.

• More Inspections. John Kerry believes more inspections of cattle that are exhibiting signs of a neurological disease, adult cattle dying on farms, and non-ambulatory cattle must be done. These inspections should include not only the meatpacking side but more coverage to ensure that the 1997 feed ban on ground bone meal is not being violated. As president, John Kerry will increase the testing and inspections overall and enhance the BSE surveillance program so that all suspect animals - particularly downed animals - are analyzed.
  

• National Tracking System to Make Diseased Livestock Easier to Track and Contain. As president, John Kerry will implement an aggressive timeline for establishing a national tracking system that would make diseased livestock and meat easier to track and contain. This is critical not only to human health and public health but it will also help minimize any economic impacts.

Disaster Assistance

Farmers are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. John Kerry will fight for prompt disaster relief when tragedies – such as severe drought, floods and natural disasters – attack farmers and ranchers across the nation. Unfortunately, George Bush has not provided disaster assistance to our nation’s farmers and ranchers when they need it most. As president, John Kerry will supplement the private risk management system with disaster assistance so farmers have the protection they need in the face of weather related natural disasters.

Renewable Energy

John Kerry has a plan to reduce dependence on foreign oil. To achieve that goal, he will invest in renewable fuels, including ethanol, biomass and biodiesel. John Kerry believes that renewable energy, grown on America’s farms, must be part of America’s energy future and he supports increasing renewable fuels use by 5 billion gallons by 2012. Renewable fuel produced from corn, soybeans and other sources – such as agricultural, forest and food wastes – has a strong foothold in the market and great potential. A strong renewable fuels standard will reduce our oil dependence, improve the quality of our environment, and strengthen the economy of rural America.

Farm Labor Laws That Work

The H-2a guestworker visa program is in serious need of reform both to protect and focus on the status of farm workers and meet the needs of agricultural employers. John Kerry has joined with a bipartisan group in support of a guestworker reform program that contains improvements for both workers and employers.

• Pass Agriculture Opportunity and Benefits Act. The agricultural industry and farmworker advocates, which for years have struggled over wages and working conditions, support this effort, which will help ensure a stable work force for the nation’s farms, while also bringing undocumented farmworkers and their families “out of the shadows.”

Common Sense Approach To Biotechnology

John Kerry wants to work towards the goal of reducing the ecological footprint of agriculture and ensuring adequate and safe food and sustainability. As Iowa Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug’s work has proven, genetically modified crops are part of the way we will achieve that goal. John Kerry supports farmers’ rights to use safe, approved, and regulated technologies.

• Regulation. As president, John Kerry will redouble government efforts to make sure biotechnology is safe for human consumption and safe for the environment. He will give government agencies the power they need to effectively regulate genetically modified food products, both before and after market.
  

• Foreign Policies. As president, John Kerry will work with the international community to effectively address concerns about genetically modified products and improve trade relations.

Plan Fully Paid For While Cutting The Deficit.

John Kerry’s entire plan is paid for while keeping overall discretionary spending, outside of education and health care, growing less quickly than inflation. Specifically, John Kerry will freeze the Federal travel budget -- saving $10 billion over ten years which will cover his entire rural agenda and leave additional savings for deficit reduction.

Source: John Kerry for President 2004 Web Site

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