Political Quotes

“I rise to make the statement that if milk marketing belongs in the Committee on the Judiciary, then missile defense belongs in the Committee on Agriculture. How many staff people on the Committee on the Judiciary know anything about agricultural marketing systems? There is nobody, and there should not be anybody. To use a stretch of the rules, to use a technicality to deprive this House of a debate of one of the most important farm issues facing this country is wrong. For this House not to have the right to debate this issue up or down is wrong. It is unfair. Just last week in response to a terrorism act, we spent billions on American airlines to help them. This bill gives millions to corporate, rich farmers to help them. An amendment yesterday that I supported that limited that help to $150,000, which is pretty sizable, was defeated. Wrongly, but it was defeated. The most important issue facing this country, dairy, what is in this bill to help it? Not a dime. Not a word. Not any guidance, and that is wrong. This House needs to debate agricultural issues with the agricultural bills before this House, not in the Committee on the Judiciary. Dairy farmers are fighting for their life for a stable market, a stable market. It is the most wholesome natural food we have. I have a perspective that is different than most of my colleagues. I was a supermarket operator for 26 years. I sold food for a living. Mr. Chairman, I understand the food distribution system.”