Pat Roberts

you are right on the money in that respect.

I am upset with the FDA. We will raise hell about that later.

If necessary, we can certainly stipulate anything that you suggest in legislation, and we want to get the damn thing done. Is that pretty clear?

If you are trying to stop a bleeding wound, it seems to me that is a little higher priority than gulping down a pill or two for whatever ails you.

I think that is justifiable. I think we could make that case.

I have been very supportive and am a very strong supporter of putting more money into NIH.

I think it is time that we start to think out of the box.

I want to encourage you to keep up the fight, and you will have my strongest help.

It seems to me that that is important.

If we exported the bulk commodities, those countries could go to more specialty crop areas.

Do you have any suggestions in regard to how our food aid programs could be improved?

I do not think that we need fast track to negotiate trade agreements.

I have indicated my strong belief in that regard as to the result of the hearings to our current Secretary and the staff down there.

We have seen the United States share of export markets continue to fall.

This is a fundamental shift in the way that we are doing business.

I think we need to upgrade this debate in a more general way if we possibly can.

I went down to Latin America with the leader of the Senate, Trent Lott, and we visited Guatemala, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama.

I think we need to take a very serious look at what the food aid needs are.

I might add that that was part of the design of the FAIR Act--I had a little bit to do with that.

One study last year argued that a 16 percent appreciation in the value of the United States dollar was responsible for a 17 to 25 percentage point decline in corn and wheat prices.