Political Quotes

“this relates to the amendment that I had yesterday in terms of giving a greater advantage to the average, the medium-sized farmer, giving a lesser advantage to the very large farms in the country. This amendment relates to a WTO decision that might come, saying that the United States is going to have to reduce its subsidies for agricultural production. In the event that WTO makes that decision, the existing language in the bill has provisions where there would be an across-the-board reduction. My amendment says that the first reductions would come from those farmers receiving more than $150,000 in price support benefit payments. The provisions of the amendment yesterday was scored to save the government $1.31 billion if we had a real limitation of $150,000 on the particular payments that go out to farmers for price supports. I think as we proceed with this bill, as we move ahead to where we are going with agricultural policy in the future, somehow we need a policy that is going to help the farmers that need the help the most. I think it is unconscionable that we continue to give million-dollar awards. There are 152 farmers in the United States that received over $1 million in benefits. I think we need to continue to look at policies that are, number one, going to be market-oriented, number two, not to encourage increased production, and, number three, be fair to most all the farmers in the United States.”