Political Quotes

“Madam President, I thank my colleagues for their patience and for supporting this bipartisan effort on the agriculture reform, food, and jobs bill. I thank Senator Reid for his incredible patience and willingness to give us this time, and the Republican leader for joining in that effort as well. I especially thank my ranking member Senator Roberts for long hours and hard work on this bill to get to this point. It has been truly a partnership. Senator Roberts is my friend and my partner in this effort, and I am very grateful. I have said all along in this debate that there are 16 million people in this country whose jobs depend on the strength of the American agricultural economy and our food systems. The agriculture reform bill is about standing up for our Nation's farmers, our small businesses, our manufacturers, our exporters, and others whose livelihood depends on us getting the policy right. This represents significant reform. It cuts subsidies, it cuts the deficit, and it creates jobs. We are ending direct payments and three other subsidy programs that pay farmers regardless of losses or whether they are even planting a particular crop. We are putting in place the most significant payment reforms ever. I thank Senator Grassley for his tenacity and Senator Johnson for his partnership in that effort as well. We are cutting Federal spending by $23 billion by streamlining and consolidating programs.…”