Political Quotes

“I rise to strongly encourage the President to sign the 1999 agriculture appropriations bill. This bill contains much needed assistance for farmers and ranchers who are facing severe drought, farmers trying to hold together their operations in the face of several years of floods and disease, and farmers seeing their incomes decline significantly due to circumstances beyond their control. I want to emphasize to my colleagues the assistance provided in this bill is not an implicit acknowledgment that agriculture policy needs to change direction. It is simply a recognition of the great need that we have in rural America. The calls for additional funds for farmers are not about money, they are about policy. Some believe that they can seize on today's problems to change the course of the 1996 farm bill. My question is, why return to the old, failed farm policies of the past? Let us work through these international trade problems and continue to free agriculture to achieve great success in the 21st century. A good first step would be for the President to sign this bill. Do not play shut down the government with our farmers.”