Charles W. Stenholm: “Mr. Chairman, it is not by accident that this Nation has the most abundant food supply, the best quality of food, the…”

“Mr. Chairman, it is not by accident that this Nation has the most abundant food supply, the best quality of food, the safest food supply, at the lowest cost to our people of any country in the world. It is because our agricultural policy has been balanced. This bill today is more than just commodities and conservation. It is also forestry, trade, research, nutrition, rural development, and credit. The Committee on Agriculture had a difficult time. We had to fit it within a $73.5 billion budget. Therefore, we had to make tough choices, and that is what we did. To those who support the amendment today, who I most ardently oppose, let me point out to our colleagues, we are spending on the same programs; it is just the amount of money that you are wanting to spend. ... This is the greenest farm bill that has ever passed this Congress, and I support it enthusiastically. I oppose the amendment.”