Date: 2001-10-04
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Those of us from the urban and the suburban areas ought to understand the nature of doing that. I think it is an important decision for a society like ours to make. the commitment of keeping families on the farm. But apparently we have not been able to do it as we have just shoveled the subsidies to the largest of the farmers or the largest of the commodity brokers. Something has gone wrong in -this policy. This is a chance to rework it and see if there is a way to get other resources to those family farms. You already made the decision. you would not make this in any part of the economy. that half of the income is coming from the government. So the question is what is the benefit for the other half of America? We appreciate the crops and the foods. We all know the fact that we pay less than almost any other country in the world. But I think this is really about the future compact. I think this is about the future of farming. I think this is about the sustainability of that farming. and I think it is about forging a political alliance between urban. suburban and rural communities. about the importance of making sure that we maintain the family farmer on the family farm. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of the BoehlertKind amendment. This amendment would improve the way the Federal Government helps farmers and the way we conserve valuable American farmland. At issue today is whether we are going to continue a farm program that favors certain agricultural users over others or whether we will spread that significant Federal farm subsidies more equitably throughout the farming community. The BoehlertKind amendment will benefit more farmers by shifting nearly $2 billion a year in traditional Federal commodity crop subsidies to conservation programs that benefit farmers and the environment. We all recognize that the farm bill before us today. like the farm program that it seeks to change. significantly rewards the producers of commodity corpscon. cotton. soybeans. wheat. sorghum. rice. barley and oatsto the exclusion of noncommodity crop producers. That hurts a lot of farmers. and a lot of states. Take California. for example. While California generates oneeighth of the countrys agricultural production. it gets very little Federal agricultural assistanceprimarily because we grow specialty crops and not commodity crops. California farmers receive just 2 cents in subsidies on every dollar of production. Meanwhile. farmers in the major commodity producing states receive at least 17 cents in subsidies on the dollar for their agricultural production. The status quo is not equitable and needs to be changed. This serious inequity must be addressed. But it is not the only reason to vote for the BoehlertKind amendment. Voting for this amendment is also a vote to protect Americas precious open spaces and environment. I applaud Chairman COMBEST and Ranking Member STENHOLM for recognizing the importance of conservation programs and increasing funding levels for these programs. Unfortunately. I strongly believe that conservation and environmental programs need funding over and above what the Agriculture Committee has approved. The BoehlertKind arfiendment increases the overall level for conservation funding while better defining the conservation programs. For example. the BoehlertKind amendment improves the Committees Conservation Reserve Program by preventing the loss of over 30 million acres of tall grasslands. As many of my friends that hunt know. tall grasses are needed for ducks. pheasants. and other wildlife to nest and hide. This important change to the Conservation Reserve Program is why the National Wildlife Federation and Ducks Unlimited support this amendment. The BoehlertKind amendment also ensures that lands chosen for conservation programs are selected because they will actually improve environmental quality. Unfortunately. the Committee bill weakens the use of environmental merit for selecting lands in conservation programs. The Committee bill provides no new money for technical assistance. even while promising new technical staff to help the countrys largest animal feedlots. The BoehlertKind amendment provides funding for technical assistance. which iswhy the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts support the Kind amendment. In California. increased funding and reformed environmental programs will make a big difference to our communities. The California Farmland Conservancy Program can begin to address the 3.500 acre backlog of land farmers want to enroll in the Farmland Protection Program. California water quality will improve by increased funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) which helps California farmers adopt practices to reduce the level of sedimentation. nitrogen and phosphorous runoff into California waters. Currently. the EQUIP program has a $35 million backlog. Food control and wildlife population will improve by increased funding to the Conservation Reserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs. which faces an $85 million backlog. In addition to support from the conservation community. the BoehlertKind amendment is also supported by the California Winegrowers. San Diego and Riverside County. Association of California Water Districts and Califomia Irrigation Association. The status quo has to change. Our best chance for reform is with the amendment my colleagues Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. KIND. Mr. GILCHREST. and Mr. DINGELL are offering today. Support the BoehlertKind amendment.