Asa Hutchinson: “But I think the strongest point in the question posed--while there is a lot of debate about policy, we have spent the…”

“But I think the strongest point in the question posed--while there is a lot of debate about policy, we have spent the last 2 weeks at various times debating the policy of these various bills. The strongest point that you made is the one that I have tried to base this entire amendment upon, and that is, it is the only chance we have of getting improved farm policy, a bill actually signed into law this year. That has been the hue and cry. That has been the demand of farm organizations and farmers across this country, that we finish a bill this year. This is the only way we can do it. Chairman Combest has said that. I think it is patently clear that, even were the Harkin-Daschle substitute to be agreed to at this point, the differences between the House bill and the Harkin-Daschle substitute are so great that, in fact, it would take at least 3 weeks, as Senator Harkin said last night, for that conference to be completed. We would not have a bill in time to help our farmers or to meet that demand for it to be finished this year.”