Political Quotes

“today is a sad, sad day in America. It is a said day for the U.S. taxpayer and a sad day for the family farmers of our country. I believe the Wall Street Journal said it best when they editorialized, ``that great rooting, snooting noise you hear in the distance, is the sound of election-year, farm-state politics rolling out of the U.S. Congress.'' My colleagues know I stand for fiscal conservatism, so I don't imagine that many are surprised by my opposition to the farm bill 2002 conference report. But a ``no'' vote does not adequately describe my disappointment, my disgust, or my dismay at this, the largest non-military expansion of the Federal Government since the Great Society. House and Senate conferees approved a farm bill that expands payments to farmers by nearly $50 billion over the next decade. More than 90 percent of this increase will go to farmers producing just five crops: wheat, corn, rice, cotton and soybean. Two-thirds of this money will benefit a mere 10 percent of farmers. If the goal of the so-called Freedom to Farm Act of 1996 was to wean farmers off the trough of government assistance, this bill represents a bloating of agriculture's dependency on the taxpayer's dime. In these times of war and deficit spending, should we really be directing precious taxpayer dollars in such an irresponsible manner?”