Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American, a man named Gus Schumacher, a man whose enduring legacy and indefatigable work ethic in the field of agriculture improved the lives of untold millions of people in our country and those America touches around the world--yes, farmers from all walks of life, including the smallest producers, not just the biggest, including people who are hungry. I remember one time Gus spoke with me about going through nursing homes in western Iowa and how America had to do a better job of reaching places that were forgotten, places that you would not expect to find hungry people. Gus' work touched people across a broad variety of pursuits. He wasn't limited by the false urban-rural divide that our country lives with, and he touched citizens across the income spectrum. It was with deep sadness that we learned of the news that Gus, a former Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for both Democratic and Republican Presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush, and a founding board chair of an organization called Wholesome Wave, passed away unexpectedly last month. A few days before his death, he had come to our office offering his help to the Congress on the new farm bill. He cared so much about people. He cared so much about nutrition. He understood the foundational power of agriculture in our Nation, so blessed with the resources to feed ourselves and the world if we put our shoulder to the wheel.…”