Jack Kingston: “Mr. Chairman, if we look at the guts of the farm bill, it is, indeed, as complicated as the inside of the Pathfinder. As…”

“Mr. Chairman, if we look at the guts of the farm bill, it is, indeed, as complicated as the inside of the Pathfinder. As the Pathfinder trudges and scrutinizes the surface of Mars, the American public and Members of Congress are scrutinizing the inside of the farm bill. Anyone who looks at it looks at it in pure disbelief, not knowing what components mean what, and so forth. It is true, the peanut program under the new reforms is a no-net-cost program that contributes $83 million to deficit reduction, it supports about 30,000 jobs, and there is a phaseout of the program in under 7 years. But if we take a step back and shut the hood and look at the total picture, Americans have an abundant food supply at cheap prices year around. We spend 11 cents on the dollar on food. The farm bill is working, Mr. Chairman. I urge my colleagues to let it work, and do not do reforms on a piecemeal basis, which is what this amendment would do. I urge a ``no'' vote.”