May 8, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6289

So, this year we need real reform—not another farm program facelift.

A NEW APPROACH

The first thing we must do in re-thinking

the federal farm program is to establish a

new benchmark for farm legislation, one

that focuses on preserving and building a

network of family farms which are the backbone of rural America’s economy and its

communities.

The first sentence in the new 1995 Farm

Bill should state, clearly, that the objective

of the federal farm program is to help preserve and build a network of family farms.

Everything after that must work to make

that goal a reality.

If the purpose of the farm program isn’t to

give family farmers an opportunity to make

a living on the farm, then we ought to scrap

it. We don’t need a farm program that helps

giant agri-factories plow the ground.

THE DORGAN PLAN TO STRENGTHEN FAMILY

FARMS

I propose a family farm-targeted farm program, which would provide a better price

safety net for family farmers.

It would end government interference so

that all farmers could make their own production decisions based on the best use of

their land resources, the opportunities of the

marketplace, and their skills and knowledge

as producers.

Here is how it would work:

1. My plan would establish a new Family

Farm Target Price at $4.50 per bushel on

wheat (compared to the current target price

of $4.00 per bushel) up to the first 20,000 bushels of production. Proportional target prices

and production levels would be set to cover

feed grains or a producer’s mix of basic farm

program commodities.

2. Farmers would be free to make their

own decisions about what they produce based

on the market situation. Production beyond

the amount of grain eligible for target

prices, would be up to the farmer, and would

not receive farm program benefits.

If someone wants to farm an entire county,

they have every right to do that. But under

my plan, they, like family-sized farms would

get price protection for 20,000 bushels of

wheat produced. What they produce above

that, they do without any government interference, and without price supports—they assume all the risks of the market place.

3. On those first 20,000 bushels of wheat,

the plan would provide non-recourse marketopportunity loans set at out-of-pocket production costs as determined by the Secretary

of Agriculture. Crops produced beyond this

benchmark level would not be eligible for

this loan.

4. It would extend the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and make it more flexible to assist producers in meeting stewardship and environmental goals. Savings

achieved by making some changes in the

CRP program could be used to restore funding for other conservation programs that assist farmers, and to improve farm program

support prices.

5. It would limit participation in the farm

price support program to those who are actively engaged in farming, and end program

payments to off-farm investors. We could use

the savings to improve the safety net of

price supports for family farmers.

My plan tightly focuses federal farm programs—and dollars—on family farmers. It

would put price supports under family farmers, rather than under farm commodities.

It will provide our farm families the opportunity to make a living at efficient levels of

production.

It will provide an abundant supply of efficiently produced food and fiber for our nation, and make the best use of limited federal farm program dollars. It will provide the

strongest price support for the first increment of production which will provide the

most help for family sized farms.

It will end the practice of providing unnecessary and unlimited price protection to the

nation’s largest corporate farms, while

shortchanging the nation’s family farmers.

My farm program proposal would also end

the practice of paying price supports to offfarm investors. We would define who is really a farmer and who is farming the system.

Under my plan, the farm price safety net

would go to actual farm operators (and retired farmers who derive a majority of their

income from crop-share arrangements). The

safety net would extend only to those who

are engaged in the day-to-day running of a

farm operation or depend on a farm operation for a majority of their income.

We would repeal and close the loopholes by

which some of the biggest landholders and

corporations receive multiple farm program

entitlements.

We need to get back to the original purpose of agricultural programs: to preserve

and protect a network of family farms and

help them compete in an unpredictable world

in which weather, market conditions, and

economic policies constantly undermine

their efficiency and their productivity.

My family farm targeted farm program

would give family farmers a chance—an opportunity—to preserve a production system

and a lifestyle that is important to our country.

HONORING THE UNIVERSITY OF

CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES

∑

fBASKETBALL COACH JIM

HARRICK

∑ Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise

to pay tribute to a great man and a

great head coach; Jim Harrick of the

UCLA Bruins.

While everyone may be familiar with

Jim’s most recent accomplishment,

winning the 1995 NCAA Championship,

those that have followed his career see

a man that has accepted challenge

after challenge and built a reputation

for success.

Jim attended the University of

Charleston were, in addition to receiving his bachelor’s degree in speech, he

earned a place in the Hall of Fame and

Alumni Gallery of Achievement. He

then went on to complete his master’s

degree in education from the University of Southern California.

Jim began his coaching career at

Morningside High in Los Angeles, averaging over 25 victories and winning

three Sky League titles in four seasons. After distinguishing himself as an

assistant coach at Utah State and later

UCLA, Jim accepted the head coach position at Pepperdine University. In his

nine seasons at Pepperdine, coach

Harrick won five conference titles, four

WCAC Coach of the Year Awards, and,

of course, the invitation to come back

to UCLA as the new head coach.

The UCLA basketball program has

flourish under Jim’s direction. He is

the first UCLA coach to have 7 consecutive 20-win seasons and 7 straight

tournament bids in his initial 7 seasons. At 146 wins and 54 losses, he also

owns the best UCLA record after his

first 200 games. Under coach Harrick’s

tutelage, the Bruins have advanced to

the NCAA tournament’s second round

five times, the Sweet 16 three times,

the Elite Eight twice and, in 1995,

earned the crowning achievement as

NCAA National Champions.

And it is important to note that Jim

Harrick’s successes have not all come

on the basketball court. He and his

wife, Sally, celebrate 34 years of marriage and proudly speak of their three

sons, Monte, Jim, and Glenn, and of

their granddaughter, Morgan Paige.

His integrity and character are well

known and have earned him invitations

to travel the world as an American

goodwill ambassador.

His dedication to the game, his concern with the well-being of the players,

his focus and determination, and the

integrity of the UCLA program all

show his fine qualities as a coach and

as an American.

f∑

ORDERS FOR TUESDAY, MAY 9,

1995

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I

ask unanimous consent that when the

Senate completes its business today, it

stand in recess until the hour of 9:15

a.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 1995; that following the prayer, the Journal of proceedings be deemed approved to date,

the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day,

and there then be a period for the

transaction of morning business, not to

extend beyond the hour of 10:30 a.m.,

with Senators permitted to speak for

up to 5 minutes each, with the exception of the following: Senator THOMAS,

20 minutes; Senator DASCHLE or his

designee, 20 minutes; Senator LEVIN, 20

minutes; Senator SANTORUM, 10 minutes; I further ask unanimous consent

that at the hour of 10:30 a.m., the Senate proceed to a vote on the confirmation of the nomination of John Deutch

to be Director of CIA, to be immediately followed by a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the

Coverdell-Dole amendment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I

now ask unanimous consent that Senators have until 10:15 a.m. Tuesday to

file first-degree and second-degree

amendments; further, that the Senate

stand in recess between the hours of

12:30 and 2:15 Tuesday for the weekly

policy luncheons to meet.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, for

the information of all Senators, there

will be two consecutive rollcall votes

beginning at 10:30 tomorrow morning.

The first vote is on the Deutch nomination, to be followed by a vote on the

cloture motion on the Coverdell-Dole

amendment.