David Obey: “this farm bill is the worst agriculture bill in the last 30 years, and the Solomon amendment makes it worse, for two…”

“this farm bill is the worst agriculture bill in the last 30 years, and the Solomon amendment makes it worse, for two reasons. First of all, if you vote for the Solomon amendment, you are going to add $7 billion in financial burdens to farmers, and you are going to add a $400,000,000 cost to the taxpayers. The amendment is a wondrous gift to the biggest processors in this country at the expense of dirt farmers. Second, since 1934, under the ridiculous milk-marketing order system this country now has, if you are a farmer living in Florida, you get $3 more for every 100 pounds of milk you produce than if you live in the upper Midwest. That whole milk-marketing order system ought to be scrapped. The committee bill tries to do that in 2 years. It does not get there, but it at least tries. The Solomon amendment continues this ridiculous system for an additional 2 years. That alone is reason enough to vote against it. If you believe in the dignity of work, I dare you to look a Midwestern farmer in the eye and tell him that the dignity of his work is worth 30 percent less than the dignity of the work of another farmer simply because of where he lives. There is no reason in terms of fairness to vote for the Solomon amendment. Vote against the amendment, and then vote against the bill itself. They are both turkeys.”