Bobby Rush: “I applaud you for holding this hearing today, especially in the wake of such stunning court defeats.”

I am absolutely committed to the idea, and the potential, of trying to create a unity of will, a unity of spirit, and a unity of understanding, in terms of the whole cooperative sector of our society.

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.

What specific policies would you recommend to combat the historic and current discrimination too often faced by Black and Brown farmers in your respective industries?

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…