Tom Coburn: “The very fact that we are going to go out and give money to people who had an opportunity to protect their losses and…”

“The very fact that we are going to go out and give money to people who had an opportunity to protect their losses and chose not to, we are sending a signal that we are going to get less participation in crop insurance, not more. What we want is a crop insurance program that will work and which has the incentive so that many farmers say, Uncle Sam isn't going to come; I have an opportunity to protect myself and I am going to buy it. Does it cost me something? Sure. The second point I was going to make relates to the chart which the Senator from North Dakota showed which showed the amount of losses. What he didn't say is that farmers also had the opportunity to buy a much higher level of coverage which they chose not to do. But it is out there. Had they done this, their losses would have been far less than they are today. Economically, they have to make a decision. I am not against helping those who are in need today.”