With a USDA inspector alongside, Kansas Congressman Jerry Moran toured damaged wheat fields in five Kansas counties earlier today.

Moran joined Kansas wheat growers in hoping this would be the year that would cover their losses by growing a bountiful harvest to make up for five years of drought. But after the Easter weekend freeze, Moran says the damage he's seeing is significant..

"Many fields that farmers thought would produce 60 to 80 bushels per acre - a great crop - are going to produce 10 to 12 bushels per acre. So it is something that's going to affect obviously individual farmers but also the Kansas farm economy. In fact, the estimates I'm hearing today is about a $500 million loss to the Kansas wheat crop," said Moran.

Crop insurance from the USDA and private insurance companies won't begin to cover the losses.

Moran says the insurance is tied to the Iraq war funding bill President Bush plans to veto tomorrow.

Moran says the house and senate have to negotiate the war funding and bargain to get the disaster relief out of that bill.