Political Quotes

“although my colleagues have worked hard to provide meaningful reform, this bill maintains agriculture policies that are driving several underlying problems. For example, the single biggest share of subsidies under this bill goes to corn, which drives up food prices through corn based ethanol incentives and which contributes to obesity and diabetes through the overproduction of High Fructose Corn Syrup. The bill short-changes conservation programs that can reduce global warming pollution. It continues to encourage factory farms where our antibiotics are rendered weak or useless because of overuse on cattle, where cattle are treated inhumanely, where toxic runoff contributes to contaminated drinking water, and where employees suffer the highest rates of workplace injuries of almost any other industry. Finally, this Farm Bill maintains massive giveaways to corporate agribusiness instead of helping the vanishing family farmer. The president has declared his intent to veto this bill because it does not contain adequate reform. Instead, he asserts that Congress should pass a one year extension of the status quo and come back with a farm bill containing more meaningful reform. I agree that the bill falls far short.”