Sam Farr

The war I see is that you are fighting a tradition which the beneficiaries of that, of our policy on feeding the public...

I think I am always interested in moving more of it to competitive.

Make no mistake about it, that increased jurisdiction was absolutely essential.

We all signed those agreements 20 years ago. I point out that we have signed these protocols. That is when we started putting money into finding an alternative. Why have we been so ineffective in finding something that works?

When you can sell a chicken McNugget at a school level cheaper than a head of lettuce, you know that something is wrong.

I think this hearing has been, for me, of all the years I have been on the Committee, this has been a very interesting one.

Our oath of office is to provide for a check and balance on all things, private and public.

I think part of it is education, part of it is creating flexibility, part of it is getting feedback from folks.

This discussion can be seen as awkward because you are coming in and asking for a 52 percent increase in a climate where all we are doing is cutting, squeezing, and trimming everything.

I am just curious. One of the programs that the Secretary outlined, and I think I am very appreciative of his focus on it, is rural poverty in America.

I think you haven't got credit for what you are doing in trying to focus on a strategy for rural America in developing the rural economy.

I think Washington has been ignoring that we have a major--government has been through years and years of furloughs, and we can learn some lessons from them.

I think as a former Governor and mayor, you understand local government.

We can't afford not to meet their request. There is too much at risk.

If it is terrorism-oriented, we will put money toward it. But we don't think of the financial world as also being part of our national security.

The fast-food industrial complex is winning the war, and you are losing it.

I think it is smart. The military uses that, and we suggested that you develop a priority strategy for capital outlays.

I think you do a lousy job of trying to get Americans to change our culture.

I think what Washington has failed to do is to ask California how they handled the furloughs.

We have got to do something differently with the information that you have.

I am not endorsing the transfer yet, until there are assurances that the program will stay intact and will not be raided by other foreign aid interests.

I hope that we are going to be using all of the capacity of our intellectual brain trusts here to help solve some of these problems.

I think that as long as you are committing to keep both going.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Yesterday, the Secretary pointed out how important it was to invest in research to keep the seed corn of intelligence in America.

I really appreciate your comments about needing to invest in research.