Tom Harkin: “sometimes Congress passes legislation that directly creates jobs. More often, we approach job creation indirectly, with…”

“sometimes Congress passes legislation that directly creates jobs. More often, we approach job creation indirectly, with legislation that lays the groundwork for a more productive and dynamic private sector. An excellent example of this is this new farm bill. The chairwoman, Senator Stabenow, and the ranking member, Senator Cochran, deserve congratulations and our sincere gratitude for all of their efforts and their success in bringing this bill through the Agriculture Committee and to the Senate floor. And because this bill reflects so much of the work done in the last Congress, I also want to recognize the many contributions of Senator Roberts. As a senior member and former chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, this is the eighth farm bill I have worked on since coming to Congress in 1975. I chaired the committee during passage of the 2002 and 2008 bills. From that experience, I can tell my colleagues the new farm bill--the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013--is good for Iowa and our entire Nation. It is a difficult enough process to craft a farm bill without the extra hardship of having to take spending reductions out of the budget baseline. These budget cuts are very difficult because there are compelling needs respecting food, agriculture, and rural America. This measure embodies genuine sacrifices and serious deficit reduction.…”