Gilbert Gutknecht: “The hard times in farm country are real and demand immediate attention. The $5.5 billion package introduced by the…”

“The hard times in farm country are real and demand immediate attention. The $5.5 billion package introduced by the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and the half billion dollars approved by the Senate are good starters. Unfortunately, some folks cannot resist making a political football out of the misfortune of others. These folks say that the 1996 farm bill, which the President signed, is to blame for all the woes in farm country. Mr. Speaker, I would have preferred to avoid the blame game, but if the goal of the Democrats is to place the blame they do not have to look very far. How about the congressional Democrats' unwillingness to pass fast track trade negotiating authority with their president? At least he used to say this was so critical to U.S. farmers and ranchers. When one-third of our farmers' cash receipts come from exports, how can congressional Democrats defend their opposition to fast track? When EU subsidies in 1997 were at their highest level in this decade, at nearly $47 billion compared to $5.3 billion here in the United States, how can they oppose fast track?”