I want to just commend our fellow Members of Congress who have taken the bold leadership on this legislation: Mr. Jones; Ms. Slaughter; and Mr. Walz.

I do hope that it stays under the control of where it is, as much respect as I have for my colleague.

We think that poultry prices are going to raise 20 to 25 percent to get to a level of break-even or slight profitability.

We are already there for a certain sector.

I represent Georgia, and in my state is the leading poultry-producing region in the whole world.

Well, last night in anticipation of this hearing I looked up the nearest I could find as to what a cotton harvester would cost a farmer. And it would cost roughly $600,000 to buy a new cotton harvester from John Deere.

Congress, working together with USDA, that can help give the bankers some confidence in making those loans.

What I can say is from my own experience with the bankers is that the first question that I always got asked when I went in to get our line of credit for our farm of the year is have you been to FSA and signed up for the programs? And do…

Farm incomes are historically volatile, they fluctuate widely and often unpredictable and quite frankly are as fickle as the weather.

If we as a nation want to remain the leader of the world in producing high quality, high volume food and fiber at stable prices, then we must not balance the budget on the backs of those farmers and producers who are engaged in that…

Cuts or drastic changes to eligibility requirements for these programs are not felt equally across all commodities.

I do not think is well run in Washington, and there is certainly a long list of those.

Are the children of the minority race being denied an equal educational opportunity in violation of their civil rights?

With all due respect, Governor, would you consider a delay in this in view of the points that we have made this morning?

Is that fair? Is that proportionate to the situation?

If there is one thing that I hope you will take from this hearing this morning, it is that a delay in the implementation of this rule is definitely in order.

not affordable, we're not going to buy it, and it's going to just fall by the wayside like it has at a different time 2 years ago.

failed policies under President Bush and under President Obama bear some of the blame for the crisis.

If those involved in the financial collapse had responded appropriately to market indicators and had refrained from unsound lending practices, we would not have experienced a crisis so severe.

I have heard from dealers, I have heard from some clearinghouses that margin segregation could dramatically increase costs for everyone involved and will produce only marginal gains in risk protection.

Shouldn't futures clearinghouses and derivative clearinghouses be treated the same?

Just to clear up, given that we don't require this margin segregation for futures clearinghouses, I would be interested to know why.

What I think is the fair question is not that it will be expensive but what will be the marginal cost of providing that additional level of protection?

If some of these folks are saying that it is very, very expensive, I think--and my suggestion is you really look at it with a very jaundiced eye here.

And are you willing to revise this carve-out to make it meaningful to non-systematically risky commercial companies that offer swaps, so that they can conduct their business without being caught up in the same net as the large banks?