David Thomas: “I would tell Members that most of the amendments we are going to be looking at over the next hour or so are really…”

“I would tell Members that most of the amendments we are going to be looking at over the next hour or so are really ill-advised. It is ironic that at a time we have a bill on the floor in which we are finally phasing out Agriculture subsidies, that people want to jump in, and for whatever reason they are offering these amendments, to score points somewhere for somebody. The only factual statement I have heard since I have been on the floor was the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] admitting that he did not understand farming. That I will agree with. Everything else I have heard is absolutely ridiculous. This is a program tied to the world price of cotton. It is a 5-year loan structure. Drop the high year, drop the low year, and average the rest. It was revolutionary when it was presented. What it does is guarantee that we can compete in the world marketplace. We had no bale carryover last year because we were successful against the other subsidized countries in a product that is fought over in the world. This program is going to be phased out.”