Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman and the members of the Natural Resources Committee for their work that brought this legislation to the floor. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3366, the Hermiston Reversionary Interest Release Act, is very important to the city of Hermiston--as you all have heard--to Umatilla County, and to Oregon State University, so I appreciate being able to speak in support of it today. Oregon--and the nearly 70,000 square miles that I represent in my district--is full of unique landscapes, ranging from high deserts to green valleys, which produce more than 220 different agricultural crops. Farmers in this part of Oregon, the Columbia Basin, grow crops from commodities--like corn and wheat--to specialty crops--like onions, potatoes, asparagus, and, of course, the world-famous Hermiston watermelons. In fact, Umatilla County is the second highest agricultural producing county in the State of Oregon, with sales topping $487 million annually. Agriculture has always been the economic backbone of Umatilla County. However, growth of the industry would not have been maintained without significant innovation in what types of crops are grown and in improvements in production techniques. The land that this legislation deals with was conveyed to the State of Oregon and then to Oregon State University by the Federal Government.…”