GOP slams Dems, Obama on drought relief

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The failure by Democrats to pass drought relief for farmers or stop pending tax hikes has harmed small businesses, a Republican member of the U.S. House said.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri charged Saturday in the GOP's weekly media address that the Democrats had politicized the critical issues.

Hartzler, a small business owner, said she knew first hand the challenges of what she considered inaction by the Democrats and President Obama.

"Like you, I was relieved earlier this month when the House passed a bipartisan measure helping farmers devastated by the ongoing drought. A lot was riding on this bill, but the Senate, a body controlled by the president's party, left Washington for the month of August without even bringing it to a vote," she said.

"The president has seen fit to politicize this issue, but the fact is he didn't urge the Senate to act. That is a true shame," she said. "Drought conditions continue to worsen, and the shaky state of the economy only amplifies our anxiety."

On Monday, Obama said the Agriculture Department would begin buying from farmers and ranchers to help stock food banks and increase farmers' access to water.