Dick Lugar: “let me say in partial response to my distinguished friend from Nebraska, I appreciate his gracious comment, even though…”

“let me say in partial response to my distinguished friend from Nebraska, I appreciate his gracious comment, even though he is in opposition. I agree with him when he points out that farmers who are 57 years of age and older will find this farm bill to be an exceptionally generous farm bill. That includes, as the Senator from Nebraska has pointed out, a large number of farmers in this country. As the distinguished Chair was also a farmer, I understand, this is one of the points of concern for us in farming, the maturity of that group. But we are in agreement that this bill is good news for a majority of farmers in this country who are out there and who have some age and have had some experience. The issue the Senator from Nebraska raises is, what about their sons and daughters? What will happen to them? Here, honest Senators will disagree. My own view, having four sons, and trying very hard to make certain that the farm can be passed along to them, as my dad passed along the farm that I now farm to me, I have a lot of optimism for them. I believe, Mr. President, that the income that will come to farmers in the next 7 years will lead to an increase in land values. I believe the Lugar farm will be worth a great deal more in 7 years. I believe there will be income throughout that 7-year period of time which will make it even stronger than it is now. That is the legacy we pass along.”