Rae Oliver Davis

Consumers can already find products free of GMO ingredients with labels voluntarily placed by the manufacturers.

If we can set up a voluntary labeling program, we define it and make it standard around the United States, that gets everybody paddling the canoe in the same direction.

I prefer that the farmer have the choice to pick his market. I wouldn't mandate.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you to my colleagues for beginning to review and address this very important issue.

I wanted to thank you for putting out the guidance memo for the exemption that our schools can apply for.

I oppose the President's call for a $16 billion cut to crop insurance.

We want some real world production agriculture experience.

I hope that the Administration can do whatever it takes to help end the strike on the West Coast, because it is severely impacting products in the Midwest.

I reinforced last week to Administrator McCarthy, Mr. Secretary, the Congressional intent of this bill.

I do believe that many in the livestock industry are going to be taking advantage of the low prices, and also the oversupply of some of our corn this year.

I would like to think Dr. Ehrlich was--the starvation problem still exists, but not nearly to the extent...

I often say that we feed the world, and it is underappreciated.

Now, Howard, my friend, he believes that biotech is a part of the solution to solving world hunger.

I agree with you that the bill does a good job in avoiding putting universities into the same category as patent trolls.

I have a tremendous concern when 17 years ago we picked an option to upgrade our water infrastructure along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, and we have yet to do so because we have projects like Olmsted that are still backlogged.

I have toured the project in its infancy. Obviously, as you are, as many are, we are disappointed in the cost overruns and the continued delays.

We share a common goal to make sure that our veterans get employment when they return home.

I appreciate your willingness to do so, and I would ask that you keep in communication on the progress of those discussions, on P3s.

I just want to give you fair warning when you come back to this committee--I just talked about this subject with your St. Louis District--and it is a design flaw in lock and dam 27, the Mel Price Project, that is causing some damage to the…

I have tremendous concerns, especially in light of the fact that it seems that, in one instance, the DC Court of Appeals has allowed the EPA to basically veto one of your already-existing 404 permits.

And there is $126 million in the President's budget for Olmsted, correct?

I hope we can work together in some new and innovative approaches to begin that process.

Will the Corps of Engineers be open to an addendum to any rule that would allow some guidelines to be put forth, so that the EPA cannot veto work that you are already doing?

Do you think finishing Olmsted could be an option through a public-private partnership?

I would like to submit a copy of a letter that I, along with the rest of my delegation Illinois and Indiana, signed.