Tom Vilsack

The administration, first and foremost, is committed to an expansion of the biofuels industry.

I think there is a real strong desire on the part of rural America to participate in helping reduce our dependence and our addiction to foreign oil.

We are committed to working with you.

We think there are opportunities for reform in crop insurance, and we do believe it is appropriate to focus on a $250,000 hard cap.

We think it is important for a multitude of reasons that we address aggressively child nutrition.

We are committed to a fair resolution of outstanding and longstanding civil rights cases against the Department.

I think what I would like to be able to say, Senator, is that I would like to see it rolled into a program that essentially extends those kinds of opportunities all over the country, including Philadelphia, not necessarily only…

I believe that we can provide technical assistance.

He wants to end childhood hunger by 2015. He is committed to it. We are committed to it.

I have not made any specific decisions relative to the program and improvements to the program because I want to give everyone an opportunity to have input.

If you focus simply on one or two of the three, then you are not going to make the food available.

I certainly appreciated Senator Bond's comments, and I understand his concerns.

We believe 9.8 million participants is a very good, healthy estimate of what the program will be.

I do not want this Congress to lose confidence in the system, not provide funding, and then send I think what would be a very poor message to our trading partners.

We do believe that there are ways in which we can have a strong, adequate safety net.

We think this is an opportunity for us to expand the McGovern-Dole program.

We have been listening and we have been trying to respond as best we can.

We appreciate the opportunity that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has given us to invest in appropriate investments.

Senator, I think we have done a reasonably good job of getting a significant amount of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act money out.

There has been concern expressed by some Members of Congress about whether or not the investment that is being made today by the Federal Government, now in excess of $130 million, is money well spent.

Broad bipartisan support and for good reason.

We will focus on expanded trade promotion, particularly through a coordinated strategy for exporting biotechnology crops.

First, he is very concerned about the health and welfare of America's children and wants to make sure our children have access to nutritious food.

This is an aggressive agenda. We believe that this budget, as presented to you, is a start.

We will work very hard to advance the notion of food security worldwide based on the principles of expanding the availability of food, the accessibility of food, and the utilization of food.