David Minge: “the bill that is before us this evening is truly one that is supported on a bipartisan basis, as is evident in the…”

“the bill that is before us this evening is truly one that is supported on a bipartisan basis, as is evident in the discussion. But I think that it needs to be said that we have gone through a fair amount of turmoil in this body as we have discussed agricultural policy, and there is not unanimity as to the wisdom or the effectiveness of the farm bill under which we are operating. Agriculture in many areas of this country is in severe economic distress. The bankers in my area tell me that we have more farmers that are facing foreclosure or forced exit from farming than we have had since the mid-1980s, and the condition of the farm economy rivals what we saw in the farm depression of the mid-1980s. The farm bill, by transferring billions of dollars in automatic transition payments, is not truly addressing the needs that many of these farmers face. What I feel is good news is that the bill that we are taking up this evening indeed does. I believe that agricultural research is something that has paid rich dividends to the American consumer and to the American farmer, and investing in this area is one of the key investments that we should make in this Nation.”