Charles W. Stenholm: “Mr. Chairman, I would like for my friends on the other side to pay particular attention, because there have been a…”

“Mr. Chairman, I would like for my friends on the other side to pay particular attention, because there have been a couple of speakers that have, I know, spoken not intentionally erroneously, but have made some erroneous claims about this amendment. First off, there is no intention, and you will not find anywhere in this amendment that we are designing this to have a slush fund for the Secretary of Agriculture. I fully expect that we will be dealing with these issues in the Committee on Agriculture under farm bill No. 2. If we can come to a resolution thereon, and we can expect then to decide and direct how these moneys shall be spent, we shall do so in the proper legislative process. Only if we fail to bring a bill out will it come to the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture, and I cannot imagine us failing to do our job. The question before us today is whether we are going to provide the resources for rural America.”