Bobby Rush: “I look forward to working closely with you. I respect you, Mr. Chairman, and I trust you.”

Discrimination and prejudice absolutely should not be tolerated in any government program, any organization, or any individual.

I am continually concerned about the impact of any new costs on our nation's farmers and, specifically, the energy costs as it relates to minority farmers and consumers.

It's imperative we safeguard both these program titles for our national security and the economic viability of U.S. farmers and ranchers.

During the hearing, I asked what I thought was a straightforward question: what policies would our expert panel made up of commodity group witnesses recommend to rectify both the historic and current discrimination too often faced by…