Byron Dorgan: “a few months ago a number of us went to the White House to meet with President Clinton. Senator Daschle was among them.…”

“a few months ago a number of us went to the White House to meet with President Clinton. Senator Daschle was among them. We brought some farmers from North Dakota and South Dakota to talk to the President about the farm program and what they were experiencing day-to-day on their farms. One of them from North Dakota was Deb Lundgren. She and her husband and her children operate a family farm near Kulm, ND. They are third generation farmers, trying to run their family farm. When I called Deb and asked her to come to Washington for a meeting with the President she said, ``It is really a coincidence you called. Yesterday morning,'' she said, ``my husband and I were having kind of a tearful conversation over the breakfast table about whether we would be able to continue farming next year.'' She came to the White House and told a compelling story to the President about the struggle that it takes to operate a family farm with uncertain prices, uncertainty about whether you get a crop. They had a wet year last year and did not have much of a crop. Prices are up, but it does not mean much if you didn't raise a crop. At the conclusion of the meeting, the President said to Deb, ``You hang in there. We will try to fight for a farm program that really works for family farmers.'' That is the only reason I care about this.…”