Byron Dorgan: “I have never indicated that I do not believe there are changes that are necessary. There are changes needed. The current…”

“I have never indicated that I do not believe there are changes that are necessary. There are changes needed. The current farm program is frightfully complicated. It has the Government hip deep in trying to tell farmers where to plant, what to plant, and when to plant. We can have, in my judgment, a much better farm program that has much greater flexibility for producers. I do not like the so-called Freedom To Farm Act in terms of where it leaves us after 7 years, because my fear is we are in a situation, then, where there is no safety net at all and when international prices drop and stay down, family farmers just get washed away. That is my major concern. But there are some aspects of the plan that was put in the reconciliation bill which I could support. Flexibility is one of them. So I hope we can get together and have a thoughtful debate and do this the right way. Republicans and Democrats can join hands here and reach a common solution.”