September 3, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 35
SENATE CANDIDATES SPEAK TO GFB BOARD OF DIRECTORS U.S. Senate candidates Michelle Nunn and David Perdue spoke to the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors during the monthly GFB board meeting on Aug. 28, sharing their views on a variety of topics, including biotechnology, immigration and farm labor, and federal government regulation. They fielded questions from the GFB board and gave interviews to GFB media and local news outlets. Nunn and Perdue are running for the seat currently occupied by Saxby Chambliss, who steps down at the end of the year. The election will be held Nov. 4. Perdue, who won the Republican primary, expressed support for continuing the development of biotechnology crops, securing national borders, streamlining the H-2A program and reining in federal regulation like the EPA’s Nunn Perdue waters of the U.S. rule. Nunn, the Democratic candidate, focused her remarks on promoting collaboration across party lines in Washington. She expressed a desire for secure borders with legal long-term access to immigrant labor for farmers and said farmers need to be allowed to continue to be productive without facing unnecessary regulatory burdens. Both candidates said they would like to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee. In an interview with GFB media, Perdue said the export opportunities for Georgia farmers will grow with the expansion of middle classes in other countries. “We have to do everything we can to keep it healthy moving forward, managing technology and make sure it can feed not only our population but be available to help feed the world,” Perdue said. “I think it’s a huge opportunity to see the growth rate of the rest of the world. There’s no reason we can’t be the bread basket of the world if we focus on that as a strategic opportunity.” Nunn focused on nurturing the next generation of farmers. “It’s really important to Georgia’s livelihood and way of life,” Nunn said. “We know that the majority of the farmers in our state are over 55 years old. So we need to make sure that we are really supporting those young farmers and ensure that they have access to land and capital and really be a part of this agricultural tradition, economy and heritage.” The candidates agreed that immigration reform is needed, but differed on how to approach it. Perdue suggested a segmented approach, saying the U.S. should first work to secure its borders, then address people who are in the country illegally and streamline the H-2A program. Nunn said she would fight for comprehensive immigration reform, which would include giving people at pathway to citizenship that places them at the back of the line, requires them to learn English and subjects them to background checks.