Alcee Hastings: “today I rise to oppose in the strongest possible terms this amendment which would effectively kill off the United States…”

“today I rise to oppose in the strongest possible terms this amendment which would effectively kill off the United States sugar program. As many of my colleagues know, I represent the second largest sugar producing district in the country. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mark Foley) my colleague, represents the largest. Candidly, Mr. Chairman, I find it fascinating that we have Members in this body who know absolutely nothing about the U.S. sugar program. Not only do they not know about the program, they do not know the people that I know that will lose their jobs. It has already started to happen, not only in Florida but in California and in Hawaii where Mr. Abercrombie comes from, and in Nebraska, Texas, Ohio, and Louisiana. Do my colleagues know that the United States sugar industry creates more than 420,000 jobs in 42 States? Do my colleagues know that the United States sugar industry has a positive annual direct and indirect economic impact on the United States economy of more than $26.2 billion?”