Political Quotes

“I would like to thank the chairman for the opportunity to speak on this amendment and to bring this issue to the floor. As many of my constituents and colleagues know, I'm a doctor, not a farmer. So what they taught me in medical school is, when you don't understand something or you need a second opinion, you ask the experts. Since becoming a Member of Congress in January 2011, I began talking to farmers in my district when I needed to learn more about agricultural issues. In fact, I realized how much farming and agribusiness contributed not only to my district, but to Michigan's economy. I asked to join the Agriculture Committee so I could better represent them in Congress. Earlier this spring, I began to hear about a regulation that some of the farmers in my district were really concerned about. Now, if you don't have farmers in your district, let me tell you something; they will make sure that you know there's an issue. Gradually, they began to talk to me more and more about a rule that had been proposed by the FDA that would make farming fruits and vegetables, better known as specialty crops, much more difficult in the near future. This rule, better known as Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, was imposed by the FDA as a result of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act. Before I go any further, I want to make one thing crystal clear.…”