Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, which the Presiding Officer from New Jersey just spoke of, in my State called the farm bill, represents the most significant reform of U.S. agriculture in decades. It is the product of months of policy discussion and late-night deliberations, guided by Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Roberts. It is the reason why people across the country, farmers and business owners and faith leaders and county commissioners are paying attention. The bill benefits all of us, all Americans. Today, one in seven jobs in Ohio is related to the food and agriculture industry. To get the economy back on track, the farm bill must remain a priority in Congress. The Agriculture Committee has worked to craft a farm bill that is forward-looking and realistic. The centerpiece of the bill's deficit reduction efforts is based on a bill I authored with my colleague John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, along with Senator Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, and Senator Lugar, a Republican from Indiana. Our Aggregate Risk and Revenue Management Program proposed streamlining the farm safety net and making it more market oriented. The era of direct payments--the billions of dollars that newspaper editorial writers and constituents alike complained about, these huge farm subsidies that went mostly to large corporate farmers--the era of direct payments made annually regardless of need under this bill is over.…”