Joseph Skeen: “Reluctantly, Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, the purpose of the amendment of the…”

“Reluctantly, Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, the purpose of the amendment of the gentleman is commendable. He is trying to support an Agricultural Research Service laboratory in his district, the Northern Appalachian Experimental Watershed Research Station at Coshocton, Ohio. I know that this research station does good work. That is not the question. The problem is that there are 103 other research stations within the Agricultural Research Service and they all do good work. If each of these locations had more money, they could do even more good work. This particular lab is funded at $957,000 in the current fiscal year, and this amendment will increase that amount by about 10 percent. In putting together this bill, we have had to balance the needs of all such locations. I think that we have done a good job. So I must reluctantly oppose the amendment of the gentleman. I need to ask that his amendment be defeated and that we maintain the balance among all research stations.”