Charles W. Stenholm: “We propose in this amendment to fund the fund for rural America to the degree of $3.5 billion, to meet the rural…”

“We propose in this amendment to fund the fund for rural America to the degree of $3.5 billion, to meet the rural development conservation research and extension priorities and needs of rural America that we believe are not and have not and will not be met in the funding as before us in H.R. 2854. I would hasten to point out, for budget reasons, the $3.5 billion additional spending conforms to the coalition budget that was offered last year that balances our budget in 7 years, Congressional Budget Office scoring. We believe and have consistently said that the current farm bill and the cuts as proposed in agriculture are too severe, particularly in the area of rural development. And we have suggested that additional funding must be made available, and that is what this amendment does. It also includes a provision for the oilseeds. In the transition market program that is in the base bill, the oilseeds are shortchanged. For too long, the oilseeds have been shortchanged and, as we had a discussion yesterday regarding the market loan for cotton, we believe that a similar oilseed marketing loan is also very applicable and very much needed.”