Charles W. Stenholm: “I conclude my remarks to my colleagues today by saying, please oppose this amendment. It should not even be on this…”

“I conclude my remarks to my colleagues today by saying, please oppose this amendment. It should not even be on this bill. The money he is talking about is in the other bill. That is where we ought to be discussing this. But when you start looking at what we are trying to do, and we will have plenty to say about that when the farm bill comes up, what we are trying to do with the money he is trying to eliminate is to stand and give a helping hand to the remaining wool and mohair producers, trying to come up with some new ideas in the marketplace in which we can survive. The gentleman from New York would just say, Adios. We don't give a rip about that. We just think you ought to compete in the international marketplace. I ask you again: How could any wool producer in the United States with $16.9 million total support that the Congress is giving them compete with the European Union that is putting in $2 billion? Let us talk about Australia. He pooh-poohed a minute ago the idea that the value of dollar and currency values had anything to do with this. The Australians have an advantage in cotton and in wool of 50 percent because the value of the Australian dollar is 50 percent of the United States dollar. I ask you a simple question: if you are selling wool, and we are selling it for 33 cents today, way below what it costs to produce.”