Debbie Dingell: “I have enjoyed the comments that have been just made; and regrettably, they are useful, but only slightly so. This is a…”

“I have enjoyed the comments that have been just made; and regrettably, they are useful, but only slightly so. This is a good amendment to a good bill. It is a good amendment that makes a good bill much better. The President had some words to say to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle the other day. The administration noted that nearly half of the government payments have gone to the largest 8 percent of the farms, while more than half of all the other farmers have received only 13 percent. Now, where are the cuts that are made here, about which my colleagues on the Committee on Agriculture complain so much in the amendment? They are to the commodity section. But interesting to note is that the commodity section is going to pay more than it has in the past to the American farmer. So the American farmer is going to do fine under this. LDP payments are increased. But where is the big increase? The big increase in funding under this legislation is to conservation. And it is going in a way which permits all farmers, especially the smaller farmers, to begin to draw an adequate opportunity to participate in funding for conservation purposes. It is noteworthy, I would tell my colleagues, that three out of four farmers have been turned away from the conservation programs because of a lack of money. Three out of four. This is going to give the little farmer a chance to participate in conservation, where there is an enormous benefit.”