Earl Blumenauer: “I yield myself 90 second. Mr. Chairman, the United States sugar program is one of the most archaic and misguided Federal…”

“I yield myself 90 second. Mr. Chairman, the United States sugar program is one of the most archaic and misguided Federal policies that we have. It artificially raises the prices of sugar. It harms U.S. customers and consumers, and prevents developing nations from competing in the global market place. One of the deep concerns I have is that people are circulating here with a straight face the assertion that this is a no-cost program. Nothing could be further from the truth. It drives up the price for American consumers each year, upwards of $2 billion a year. It undercuts industries that use sugar as a means of production like the confectionery industry. And it is part of an enormous environmental damage, like the everglades, where we are spending $7.5 billion in clean-up. In the course of the debate this afternoon, we will have opportunities for people to focus on the need to eliminate this program. This amendment is a small step towards sanity, making a 6 percent reduction in the guaranteed price if it is adopted. I strongly urge that my colleagues look at the facts surrounding this, look at what is going to be good for the consumer, for the environment, for the taxpayer, and taking a step toward a rational agriculture policy. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.”