Political Quotes

“This FARRM Bill reforms many commodity programs. It makes major policy changes that leave no commodity untouched except for one. This bill makes absolutely no change to the sugar program. In fact, the sugar program wasn't even given the scrutiny of an audit hearing. Under this bill, we are being asked to demand sacrifices from farmers in our districts. Wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, and rice-- these commodities and more are undergoing major changes and contributing to the deficit reduction in this bill. But we're asked to believe that the sugar program and the sugar program alone is so perfect that it must be left untouched, it cannot be reformed or even discussed. I respectfully disagree. The sugar program needs to be reformed for many reasons: First, all serious studies show that the sugar program increases food costs. Economists at Iowa State University put this consumer cost at up to $3.5 billion a year for the first 4 years of the 2008 farm bill. Second, because it harms the competitiveness of U.S. food manufacturing, the sugar program costs jobs. The Iowa State study estimated that as many as 20,000 new jobs a year could be created if sugar policy were fully reformed. The U.S. Department of Commerce found that for every sugar industry job saved by the program, three good manufacturing jobs were lost. Third, current sugar policy may not have cost taxpayers at the moment, but the Congressional Budget Office projects that it will in the future.…”