Barney Frank: “No, the question was not the farm bill. It was the amendment from the gentleman from Wisconsin to cut out $150 million…”

“No, the question was not the farm bill. It was the amendment from the gentleman from Wisconsin to cut out $150 million that is being voted subsequent to the farm bill to the cotton farmers of Brazil. We had an amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) not to pay $150 million a year to Brazilian cotton farmers. We were told that we had to do that because otherwise we would be in trouble. But we had an alternative. We could have knocked $150 million out of the subsidy to American cotton farmers. That's $300 million a year that we are losing. We have the second engine on the F-35. My friend on the other side, the gentleman from Alabama, quoted the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff saying national security is at risk, but then they vote against him and force on him money he doesn't want. The gentleman from Alabama voted for a second engine. The administration, at the request of Secretary Gates, said he'd veto the bill if that happened. So it does seem to me a little odd to quote the Secretary of Defense and the Admiral, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the problems of debt and then vote for money over their objection. So those are things I would do. Brazilian cotton farmers, I would have limited the amount that we pay others. There's a couple of other major flaws here.…”