Political Quotes

“I thank my colleague from Minnesota for her comments. This is an amendment that has come up on a regular basis-- always started from New Hampshire, always defeated by the Senate. I encourage my colleagues to table Reid amendment No. 2393. This measure is known as Senator Shaheen's amendment to phase out the Federal Sugar Program. First, I would like to commend Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Roberts for their work on the underlying bill. They proved that the Agriculture Committee is able to take a serious look at the farm bill programs and improve what is working while cutting what is not. The Sugar Program is an excellent example of what works in the farm bill. Since its early years, the Sugar Program has evolved to ensure that beet and cane growers can continue to provide the United States with a safe and reliable source of sugar products. I underscore ``reliable'' because sugar is a unique commodity. Not only are sugar crops extremely limited in their seasons, but an added component is that both sugar beets and cane must be processed immediately after harvest. Processing involves what is essentially a refinery. In Wyoming we have three facilities that process sugar, all of which are grower owned and operated. People can always tell its October back home when the large piles of sugar beets begin to appear outside the sugar plants. Workers race to produce raw sugar before the beets go bad.…”