Political Quotes

“I thank my colleagues, Mr. Chairman. Let us remind ourselves, this is the first year of these six new regional offices. If we let them be entrenched, then we go for 2 and 3 and 4 years. It is going to be that much more difficult. It is a cost of $22 million that could be much better spent at our local county offices, in our State offices. That is where the action is. That is where farmers and ranchers need their help. Mr. Chairman, I want to make a comment on the general amendments that we have had today. Look, the reason we have farm programs in this country is to assure an adequate supply of food and fiber. Let me tell the Members what these farm programs have done. It does not go into the pockets of farmers. It is not subsidizing. We have ended up with a farm program that has created the most efficient industry in the world as far as agricultural production. That is why the American people eat and spend only 11 percent of their take-home pay on food, the cheapest, highest quality food in the world. So when we talk about knocking down these amendments for export enhancement programs, for programs that allow farmers to buy the kind of insurance that is going to move ahead with our Freedom to Farm bill, putting farmers on an even keel with the rest of the world, that is the challenge we have. When other countries are subsidizing their crops and subsidizing their exports into this country, we need to do something to make sure we have a strong industry.”