Political Quotes

“the Animal Damage Control Program represents one of the most efficient and cost-effective programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It benefits the general public as well as the agricultural industry. Without animal damage control, studies have indicated that agriculture's annual losses would total in excess of $1 billion. In 1994 in Oregon alone, the National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated that 4,275 sheep and 15,200 lambs were lost to predators. What kind of signal are we sending to these ranchers? When urban residents are robbed of their private property, they rely on publicly financed services to regain their property. It this a subsidy to private property owners? Is the taking of private property in the East worthy of publicly financed services, while in the West it is not? Mr. Chairman, ranchers are hard-working, tax-paying citizens who contribute mightily to their communities. And the Animal Damage Control Program is a tool they rely on to maintain a successful operation. It should be protected. Oppose the DeFazio amendment. Mr. Chairman, I oppose the DeFazio amendment, and I want to state that predator control is not only a western issue; it is an issue throughout the entire country. I think that we need to retain this program because we retained other predator control programs that pertain to our police protection. This is just another form of that, and we need it.”