Liz Saville Roberts: “Basically what you are trying to do is take the House farm bill as passed. I just asked staff what it passed by over…”

“Basically what you are trying to do is take the House farm bill as passed. I just asked staff what it passed by over there. It was 291 to 120. That is a rather strong bipartisan declaration. Basically, what you are doing is taking the House farm bill under the banner that most people have been talking about--the farm groups, the commodity groups, all the farm organizations, and many of us on this side of the aisle and that side of the aisle have said for some time two key things: One, move the bill, make sure we move it, make sure we expedite it. I would like to respond to the distinguished leader on the other side of the aisle. Senator Daschle indicated we have spent probably more time on this bill than at any time in the history of farm bills. The shortest amount of time we have ever spent in the Senate--and I can refer to the House as well--is 5 days and the longest is 31. All this time hasn't been spent on the farm bill. I am not advocating more time; don't misunderstand me. Chairman Harkin has worked very diligently to move this process along. I credit him for that. But if, in fact, we are going to get this done--and that was the key premise of the many farm groups and commodity organizations and many of us who said we need to expedite this in an odd-numbered year, don't put it off until a political year. And the other premise was, if I understand the Senator and from most of the rhetoric in this regard, to save the investment, the money, the $73 billion.…”