Larry Combest: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3665 is a short bill--it simply transfers the authority to conduct the Census on Agriculture from the…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3665 is a short bill--it simply transfers the authority to conduct the Census on Agriculture from the Secretary of Commerce to the Secretary of Agriculture and eliminates this authority from the Secretary of Commerce as of October 1, 1998. This census authority change was one that the Senate wanted to include as part of the 1996 farm bill. However, we completed the farm bill conference before we on the House side had a chance to clear this change with the Government Reform Committee. I, along with Chairman Roberts and all the other members of the Agriculture Committee, want to thank all the members and staff of the Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice, Chairman Zeliff and his ranking member, Mrs. Thurman, for their help in accommodating this move--everyone worked very hard to get this bill put together very quickly. In order to cope with the continuing move to streamline and downsize Federal agencies, it has become apparent that moving the authority to conduct the Census on Agriculture from Commerce to USDA makes sense, from both an administrative and cost-effective point of view.”