Jim Costa: “And I rise in opposition to this bill. First of all, I want to thank Chairman Lucas, the gentleman from Oklahoma, for…”

“And I rise in opposition to this bill. First of all, I want to thank Chairman Lucas, the gentleman from Oklahoma, for all the work that he has done over the years, and my appreciation for his efforts in the past few years. It has taken a long time to get here, and certainly he has worked very hard to produce a 5- year farm bill. That said, the bill is not needed, and let me tell you why. Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Peterson have been working diligently, as I said, with their Senate counterparts, and the conference committee has reached an agreement on many of the issues, leaving a few remaining issues to be worked out, and we are doing that right now. Secretary Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, has also indicated that should we complete the farm bill in January, as we are talking about, that there should not be any problems regarding the potential impacts of the dairy title being implemented and, therefore, those impacts of the cost of milk being felt by our consumers. Extending the current programs through the end of January, which is what this bill does, when it looks like we will be able to vote on a 5- year farm bill early next year, therefore, is not necessary. Farmers, ranchers, dairy producers need the certainty of a 5-year farm bill. I think we all agree on that. Families, those in need, who depend upon the nutrition programs as part of our Nation's safety net, need a 5-year farm bill.…”