William Tauzin: “it is no wonder, as my colleagues know, that people lose faith in government, politics. This government made a contract…”

“it is no wonder, as my colleagues know, that people lose faith in government, politics. This government made a contract with American farmers in 1996, and American farmers across the board gave up parts of their farm support programs, and sugar was no different. Sugar gave up its non-recourse loan program. Sugar, in fact, assessed itself $288 million that is going to deficit reduction over the next 7 years. Sugar farmers relying upon that contract, tens of thousands of them in Louisiana, have made long-term commitments, and this little 1-cent reduction in the loan rate that people say will not devastate them translates to a 5.5 percent reduction in the price of sugar for the farmer. For whom? For the big multinational sugar refining corporations. On, yes, there is money and politics involved in this. America made a contract with its farmers. We ought to keep our word today. It is a 7-year contract. American farmers depend upon that contract, have made long-term commitments. Shame on this House if we break our word and violate that contract.”