Political Quotes

“I am grateful to the chairman of the committee to engage in a colloquy with me about a devastating disease of bacteria called greening, which is devastating the citrus industry. We know of no cure. The bacteria kills the citrus tree in 5 years, and we are not going to have a citrus crop or industry unless we can find a cure for this bacteria. The bacteria is transported by an insect called a psyllid, and once the psyllid bores its snout into the bark of the tree and the bacteria is injected into the foam or sap of the tree, it will kill the tree. They found various methods of spraying to try to prolong the life of the tree, but in essence the tree will die in about 5 years. It is in every grove in Florida. It is now in the citrus industry in California and Arizona and they have found the psyllid likewise in other gulf coast States--Alabama, Louisiana--and greening is also in the State of Georgia. So what we are trying to do is set up a trust fund, which is authorized in the bill, and to get it funded in order to find a cure for this disease so an industry that has become so important to the entire country can be saved. I have talked at length with the chairman of the Finance Committee Senator Baucus, who has been very supportive. As a matter of fact, we passed a similar bill out of the Finance Committee in the last Congress.…”