Thad Cochran: “In deciding on the offsets for this amendment, one of the offsets for $5 million in savings is from funds that would be…”

“In deciding on the offsets for this amendment, one of the offsets for $5 million in savings is from funds that would be used by the Department of Agriculture for information technology. These funds are provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation. I have a letter from the Secretary of Agriculture responding to that offset and suggesting that the Department supports it. I want to be sure that we understand one provision in this letter and its implications. He says: The statute of limitations waiver is one of my highest priorities in this legislation, and this amendment and its offset have my support. If enacted, USDA will not seek to restore the computer spending reduction through future appropriations. With that understanding, Mr. President, I am able to support the amendment. It has been my intention to assist the author of the amendment in his effort to get this passed in the Senate. What it does is to waive, as a legal defense, the statute of limitations that had run on claims that were going to be filed, or that had been filed by certain persons who claim to be the victims of discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”