Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, the Freedom to E-File Act, introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), requires the United States Department of Agriculture to establish an electronic filing and retrieval system to enable the public to file with the Department all required paperwork electronically. In doing so, the act would allow producers, farmers, and rural America to have access to information on farm programs, quarterly trade, economic and production reports and other similar information. The bill of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) allows farmers to do business with the Department of Agriculture over the Internet. The rapidly evolving e-commerce economy of the 21st century continues to assert itself as the future of worldwide commerce. Like any business today, farmers are using computers and the Internet for a variety of purposes, including financial management systems and market information. It is becoming increasingly important to ensure that all segments of our economy are technologically efficient. Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture operates in a progressively antiquated computer environment.”