Political Quotes

“I support the 2007 farm bill. I would like to begin by thanking the chairman, Tom Harkin, for his hard work and determination on this bill. I also would like to thank Senator Saxby Chambliss for his efforts on this bill. Lastly, I would like to recognize Senators Baucus and Grassley for putting together a tax package to provide funding for agricultural disasters and other functions in the bill. Farm bills are not easy to move through the legislative process. A good farm bill must balance a host of competing funding priorities and the policies and priorities of shifting alliances of regional interests. This farm bill was further complicated by a shrinking baseline due to projected increases in commodity prices and the pay-go rules put into place at the beginning of the 110th Congress. The chairman had a smaller pool of dollars for this bill compared to the 2002 farm bill. Through many hours of hard work, traveling the country, holding hearings, and writing the bill, a solid compromise package emerged. This is by and large a good bill, but it could be better.”