Date: 1995-10-30
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I come to protest the composition of the conference and to object to going to conference. Mr. Speaker. the word I had. up until the distinguished gentleman from Ohio mentioned. was that we would have one conferee from the minority from the Committee on Agriculture. I am now informed that it would be two. Nonetheless. Mr. Speaker. there was a book written once by a great American called "The Arrogance of Power." We are experiencing that at this precise moment. Mr. Speaker. the Committee on Agriculture debated and voted three times. None of the measures prevailed. therefore. the Committee on Agriculture did not submit a measure by a majority vote to the conference committee. But there is something called the Freedom to Farm Act that was then placed by either the Committee on the Budget or the Committee on Rules in the legislation without any contribution. debate. or participation of the Committee on Agriculture. It was done by the leadership. by the leadership of the Committee on the Budget and by the leadership of the Committee on Rules. Mr. Speaker. I protest that move vehemently. I think it is an insult to American agriculture. I think it is an insult to the American consumers who are the ultimate recipients of the legislation enacted heretofore by the Committee on Agriculture. Mr. Speaker. I want my colleagues to know that this is not only demeaning but insulting. that a revamping of the farm legislation is being done with only two members of the minority in the Committee on Agriculture and that they would be outvoted. nonetheless. by nonCommittee on Agriculture general members of the conference. Mr. Speaker. since the beginning of the Department of Agriculture established by President Lincoln. this has not happened. In our bipartisan handling of legislation. my experience here has always been that we come up with a bipartisan approach. consensus approach to the legislation by which agriculture. to some extent rural America. and the consumers would be serving under or receive the benefit thereof. Mr. speaker. I protest. I know that I have heard it for so many years from our colleagues on the other side that we do not have the votes. so all we can do is expose. Mr. Speaker. the damage that has been done that can be done. that damage that it will do to the legislative system. I think that it basically begins the erosion of this great institution called the House of Representatives. which we once called. and still call. the peoples House. Mr. Speaker. no longer will it be the peoples House. but rather it will be by ad hoc committees at the whim of whoever is in the leadership. And if this is the way that we will act heretofore. then the people have lost. The people have lost their ability to participate. The people have lost their ability to provide counsel to the members of the different committees. It is the peoples loss. it will be if we go to conference with these numbers and thih distribution. It will be the peoples loss and the people are the ones thathopefully will rebel at the appropriate time. But as of now. the dismantling of the peoples House. this great institution called the House of Representatives. that is being nullified by what we do this evening. And I feel sad. really. and aggrieved that this would happenwith such little ability to protest. to challenge. and the disruption that will happen in the future. Mr.. Speaker. I have the ability only to address this House for 5 minutes. This is not right. This is not fair. This is an arrogant abuse of power. and this is an insult to the history of this House and to the American people. I have had my say. Mr. Speaker. but I hope that the people out there realize. all of those involved in agriculture. all of those involved in rural America. all of those that are looking forward to bettering their lives. -to bettering the environment. to bringing water into the countryside. to continue bringing electricity. to continue bringing telephone. to continue providing these things that enhance the quality of life. The American people are the bestfed people in the world for the least amount of disposable income of any major industrialized nation in the world. That has been done because of the system of this House. the system of the committee. and we have done and followed through with precedent that has been laid heretofore. So. Mr. Speaker. it is with sadness in my heart that I make this statement that the people of the United States of America lose tonight. Especially those in agriculture and rural America lose tonight. because they will not have an opportunity to address the issues fairly. equitably. Mr. Speaker. I understand the numbers. but the numbers are not what we are challenging per se. that there is a majority and that there is a minority.. But the ability to represent the people has been denied. has been denied. and the people lose. The people will be the losers tonight. It is so saidthe arrogance of power prevails and the people lose.