Sam Farr

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

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

It is really hard. You can't just go and get fresh stuff.

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

Well, let us catch up to modern times and modern farming practices. Where are you doing this research?

Well, that is the point. You are inventing things and finding things that can't be used. That doesn't help the farmer.

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?

I mean, I am just frustrated. You know, our enemies have been able to invent nuclear bombs faster than we can find an alternative to methyl bromide.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I was just noticing, I have been at this Committee for a number of years.

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

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 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.

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

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

But will it allow the States then, if you deregulate and it is up to the States, and a State says we do not like this light brown apple moth coming into our country, we are not taking any product from Napa County...

We will look forward to you aggressively supporting new research.

I want to get that program vigorously upgraded so that we do not lose the capacity to keep that seed corn of intellectual knowledge.

We ought to also have facilities where the work is being done.

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

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

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 you are right in the middle of that war, and I see it, frankly, all carried out in our food assistance programs.

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.

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