Victoria Spartz: “I know that accountability is a foreign concept in Washington, D.C., and there is no lobby for the people, but I would…”

“I know that accountability is a foreign concept in Washington, D.C., and there is no lobby for the people, but I would like to lobby for real farmers and consumers as a farmer myself. And, also, I have a cosponsor of my amendment, an actual real farmer, too. I would like to stand with the farmers. My amendment is very simple. Farmers used to pay a voluntary checkoff fee when they do a checkoff to promote their commodities to boards, nonprofit boards. Well, Congress decided to make this fee mandatory and no transparency. If you are going to force farmers to pay some money, I think farmers need to know where the money goes. Do they promote commodities or promote jobs for very wealthy people in fancy suits? Farmers are working hard for this money. My amendment has two parts, to help promote transparency with trying to do the farm bill, but also no taxpayer money should be used unless we know what is happening with these checkoff dollars to be used to promote them. I believe no one argues that these moneys are not used for checkoff fees. This does not say that they cannot be used for checkoff fees. I thought this would be an easy amendment. Unfortunately, a lot of special interest groups that aren't supposed to even lobby with this money decided to go and attack: How can Congress ask accountability? How can Congress ask us what we are doing with the money?…”