Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I want my colleagues to focus on what this is really all about. It is not about Adam Smith and Milton Friedman. It is much more about Paul and Vanessa Kummer, family farmers near the Red River of North Dakota. I heard the preceding speaker say this is about big corporate farming producing sugar. We do not even allow under State law corporate farming in North Dakota, but the sugar program is absolutely a vital part of our agriculture. Our agriculture is under very severe stress, with the value of wheat dropping 33 percent, barley dropping 29 percent, and virtually all of our farmers losing money. The only thing that is lending a level of stability to North Dakota agriculture is the sugar program. If this amendment would pass, the average farmer having 100 acres of sugar beets would lose $6,000 in a single year. We are on our backs with North Dakota agriculture. We need help. This would absolutely kick us when we are down. Please defeat this amendment.”