Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership on this issue. Madam Chairman, today I rise, I stand, and at this point I'd even leap for joy, for a farm bill that's good for agriculture in this country. This bill that we have today isn't a perfect bill, but it is a good bill. It is bipartisan, it saves nearly $40 billion, it reforms the food stamp program and farm programs, it eliminates direct payments, it consolidates conservation programs, it saves money, it gives us a safety net, and it is still accountable to taxpayers. As we debate this bill, though, I don't want to lose sight of a big policy discussion. We decided decades ago that it was important for us to have a farm bill because it was important for us to grow our own food in this country. We didn't want to rely on another country to feed us because we recognized that the instant we did that, we would allow that country to control us. That's why good farm policy is important to our national security. That's why when we go to the grocery store, we can count on buying safe food. We can know that there will be affordable food there at affordable prices. A farm bill is the reason that we all enjoy these benefits. We can't take our food supply for granted. I urge my colleagues to pass this bill this week.”