Byron Dorgan: “I think this will be, for those of us from farm country, one of the most important pieces of legislation addressed by…”

“I think this will be, for those of us from farm country, one of the most important pieces of legislation addressed by this Congress this year. I know that unless one lives on a family farm, it is probably pretty hard to describe the farm crisis, but I thought I would read a couple letters from my constituents in North Dakota. Before I do, I am reminded of the story the former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee used to tell. Kika de la Garza was his name. He used to talk about agriculture and food by telling a story about nuclear submarines. He said he met with all these folks from the Defense Department and they told him about the wonders of these nuclear submarines the United States had. They told him about all of their provisions and all their fuel and their capabilities and their speed and their distance. And he said, well, how long can a nuclear submarine stay under the sea? And the admiral says: Until the food runs out. It was Kika de la Garza's way of pointing out that food, after all, is the essence of most of our existence.”