Political Quotes

“I would like to ask the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies about a facility important to U.S. agricultural research and the State of California. The President's budget request included $22 million for construction of a Horticultural and Water Management Research Laboratory at Palier, CA. This facility will be operated by the Agricultural Research Service [ARS], the research arm of the Department of Agriculture. This facility will contribute greatly to solutions for many of the problems facing our farmers and others reliant on proper management of our natural resources. The facility will conduct critically important research on water management, postharvest quality, insect control and quarantine operations. All these functions are becoming increasingly important as we all try to balance the needs of water users, environmental protection, and the maintenance of a safe and abundant food supply. Currently, this research is housed in inadequate and inappropriate space, with many researchers using parked trailers as office and laboratory facilities. I agree with the President that this facility must be completed as soon as possible in order to upgrade our Nation's research capabilities and continue to make our farmers competitive in growing world markets.”