Joel Hefley: “this amendment would cut $200,000 for International Asparagus Competitiveness from the special research grants. Before I…”

“this amendment would cut $200,000 for International Asparagus Competitiveness from the special research grants. Before I get bombarded with the asparagus contingent like George Bush did with broccoli, let me say this, I am not saying I do not eat asparagus, and I am not saying asparagus does not have the right to be competitive in a national market. In fact, I like asparagus. Mr. Chairman, I want to stand on that here today. I am saying the Federal Government should not be paying for specialized pork projects like this. Money would go towards building a harvesting machine for asparagus, it is currently picked by hand, and various other research projects. The asparagus industry is far from beleaguered. They earned $43 million in the first half of 1999. In 1998, U.S. exports of fresh asparagus totaled 15,601 tons at a value of $46 million. In May 1999, fresh asparagus exports to Japan were up to 422 percent from the previous year. As the industry is doing very well, why should the Government pay to build them a harvesting machine? While I highlighted this section of the bill, let us look at some of the other wasteful projects which are included in this bill.”