Bob Dole: “Yesterday, by a vote of 98 to 1 the Senate passed S. 1970, the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994. I…”

“Yesterday, by a vote of 98 to 1 the Senate passed S. 1970, the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994. I offer today my congratulations to Senator Dick Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, for successfully steering this important reform legislation through the Senate with such overwhelming support. The success of this legislation is primarily the result of the bold work of Senator Lugar. In November of 1991, prompted by a report from the General Accounting Office and a series of articles printed in the Kansas City Star, Dick Lugar began a comprehensive review of USDA. He is a farmer and a businessman and used this knowledge to recommend some common sense reforms at USDA. Lugar urged then Secretary of Agriculture Ed Madigan to close inefficient local field offices. Madigan eventually identified over 1,200 offices that were no longer needed. Prior to Lugar's investigation, USDA could not even identify where these employees were located--let alone propose a bold downsizing plan. The passed bill reduces the number of USDA agencies from 43 to 28. USDA payroll will be reduced by 7,500 employees, and the stage is set for the closing of over 1,200 field offices. According to administration budget estimates, spending on salaries and overhead will be reduced by $2.3 billion over 5 years. Two years ago most thought this task was impossible. But with Senator Lugar's leadership we have achieved the impossible.”