Liz Saville Roberts: “Mr. Chairman, my colleagues, I rise in reluctant opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin…”

“Mr. Chairman, my colleagues, I rise in reluctant opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Roth]. I do want to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hall], the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter], the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], all strong defenders of export programs, the Public Law 480 program. The issue here is not so much about substance. The Roth amendment does contain some very good provisions in trade policy. There is no question about it. And the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] has worked very hard. The chairman of the full committee has worked very hard, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman]. But the Roth amendment also preempts what I consider to be a careful and reasoned formulation of agriculture trade policy and strategy for the next 7 years. Seven years, that is a long time. We are passing a 7-year farm bill for the first time in the history of the Congress. We want the consistency and the predictability because this is a very important matter.”