Bob Kerrey: “this third amendment is one of those sort of good Government amendments. I have spoken with the authorizing committee…”

“this third amendment is one of those sort of good Government amendments. I have spoken with the authorizing committee about this. They raise some concerns that I will attempt to address in a moment. This gives the U.S. Department of Agriculture the authority to conduct a voluntary buyout in order to meet its downsizing needs. No question, under this appropriations bill, the Department of Agriculture, particularly in FSA, is going to have to downsize and, equally important, Mr. President, no question, that is a desirable thing to do, given the substantial reduction in work that is likely to be required under the new farm program. So it is not that I am objecting to that downsizing, I am merely, with this amendment, trying to provide the Department with the authority to do buyouts which very often can save them substantial money and save the taxpayers substantial money in the process. I note there has been considerable attention to giving buyout authority to other agencies in the Federal Government, Treasury in particular. I am well aware of the work others have done in this area. As indicated, I have had discussions with the authorizing committee-- that is to say, the Committee on Governmental Affairs--in gaining acceptance for my amendment.”