高中英语 VOA常速听力2012年08月合辑（文本）Farm-Bill-Key-Issue-on-Presidential-Campaign-Trail-in-Iowa素材.docVIP

高中英语 VOA常速听力2012年08月合辑（文本）Farm-Bill-Key-Issue-on-Presidential-Campaign-Trail-in-Iowa素材 Agriculture legislation known as the “Farm Bill”, scheduled to expire at the end of September, is one of the top issues on the presidential campaign trail in the Midwest state of Iowa. Continued drought conditions, and lack of action by legislators on renewing Farm Bill legislation, could influence voters when they head to the polls in November. A lack of rain and scorching temperatures are taking a toll on eastern Iowa farmer Robb Ewoldt. On his farm outside Davenport, a creek bed usually flowing with water is almost completely dried up. His grazing pastures are so bare he has to bring in hay and water daily to keep his cows fed. To make matters worse, some of his corn crop has wilted, and Ewoldt is worried that low supply and high prices will impact other parts of his farming operation. 揟he hog operations are going to be really hurting because they need to feed corn. The poultry is really going to be in a squeeze because that抯 all a chicken will eat is corn. And a dairy guy has to feed corn to get his cows to produce a lot of corn, he said. While campaigning in Iowa, President Barack Obama announced the U.S. government would buy up to $170 million worth of pork, chicken, and lamb to help those producers affected by the drought. Ewoldt views the announcement as a political maneuver. 揑n the short run it抯 going to help us, but to sustain us through what were going to see over the next eight to ten months in these crop prices and our input costs for livestock, it抯 not going to do much at all, he said. Ewoldt says what would help are certain benefits provided by the Farm Bill, such as crop insurance. He wants the legislation renewed before it expires to help provide a sense of security amid the drought. 揥e抮e tired of the gridlock. We抮e tired of hearing that the Congress, the House and Senate are all locked up, and there抯 so much - everybody抯 so divided, he said