Political Quotes

“Madam President, it is hard to overstate the amount of distrust there is between rural America and the EPA. I represent the State of Arkansas, where about 70,000 of our citizens are farmers. Agriculture is our largest industry, adding about $16 billion to our economy every year. But even those members--big as they are--can't give you a full appreciation of just how important the land is to our people. Sure, they make a living off it, but farming isn't just an ``industry'' to us--it is not just another statistical category like ``nondurable goods manufacturing.'' It is a way of life. The people of Arkansas cultivate the land. They nurture it. They teach their children how to care for it. These are people who get up at 5 a.m. to milk the cows. They have had these farms in their families for generations. They pass on the land--and the values they have learned along with it. They believe in the EPA's mission of preserving a healthy environment just as much as anyone. Yes, they are stewards of the earth, these men and women, yet the EPA too often treats them as criminals. In the last 8 years alone, the EPA has been treating their property rights more like a form of parole. It has passed sweeping regulations that presume to tell farmers when they can plant and how often they can run a tractor.…”