Jim Costa: “Before I state my opposition, I'd like to first thank Chairman Frank Lucas for the hard work that he and his committee…”

“Before I state my opposition, I'd like to first thank Chairman Frank Lucas for the hard work that he and his committee staff have done today and throughout this year and last year in trying to put together not one, but two farm bills for the consideration of the House and for America's heartland, and thank Ranking Member Collin Peterson and his staff for the hard work that they have done as well. These are never easy, but as both the chairman and the ranking member like to remind us, and I think it's an important underlying point, the farm bill that we reauthorize every 4 years is among the most bipartisan efforts that we ever do. And both the chair and the ranking member and their staff are to be commended. As it relates to this measure before us, this amendment, we believe that it uses a meat cleaver approach to the legislation. Like sequester, it doesn't discriminate among programs. It's blind between those programs which deserve longer authorization periods and those that could use trimming, and clearly we understand the author's intent. The whole purpose of the farm bill, though, is to review programs under our jurisdiction to determine whether or not they should continue, whether they should be changed, or whether they should be eliminated.…”