Tom Harkin: “again, I would just point out under the amendment of my colleague from Iowa, money that would go to pay for the ocean…”

“again, I would just point out under the amendment of my colleague from Iowa, money that would go to pay for the ocean freight differential would still come out of the Agriculture budget, out of food aid. That is what I am basically opposed to, having it come out of Agriculture. It is a 6-percent limitation that my colleague has in his amendment, but any higher costs of U.S.-flag ships would still come out of Agriculture. I do not think it ought to. I think the money for the ocean freight differential ought to come out of the Department of Transportation. That is what my amendment does. Again, I hear all of these comparisons of shipping rates. My friend from Colorado, and of course my esteemed colleague from Iowa, have all these comparisons, but these are based on artificially low foreign rates subsidized by foreign governments, or rates for ships that operate without having to comply with the operating standards that apply to U.S.-flag vessels. So these kinds of comparisons may seem appealing, but they do not reflect a fair or accurate representation of the factors involved in the rates charged by U.S. ships.”