DENNIS A. CARDOZA: “I would like to say that we will deal in the debate on the bill chiefly with regard to what the level of reforms is. I…”

“I would like to say that we will deal in the debate on the bill chiefly with regard to what the level of reforms is. I would just like to tell my colleagues and my friends from both Arizona and Wisconsin that there are, in fact, significant reforms. In fact, if you take the ratio when this bill was first brought up in 2002, you have a situation where the nutrition part of this bill, versus commodities, was by a ratio of 2-1, $2 for nutrition for every dollar of commodity payments. In this particular act that we are going to be bringing to the floor later today, it is my understanding, and my work with regard to the reforms, that there have been so many reforms put into this bill that the nutrition title versus the commodity payments is actually a 5-1 ratio at this point. I would say that indicates, as just one of many indicators, that you will see as we conduct this debate the significant reform that has happened in this bill. I believe this is good work. I am very proud to be a part of bringing this bill to the floor. I believe it complies with the House Rules, and, I, again, want to urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this motion to consider, so that we can pass this important piece of legislation today.”