Date: 1993-01-21
Speaker: KE ESPY (democrat)
Chamber: S

represents the emotions that we all have felt so deeply in recent days. The Senate Committee on Agriculture. Nutrition. and Forestry met last week on the nomination of MIKE ESPY to be Secretary of Agriculture. All members attended the hearing. and Mr. ESPY was questioned for over 3 hours. I am pleased that Mr. EsPY has broad bipartisan support from our committee. and I think that all Senators present were both impressed and moved by Mr. EsPYs testimony and response to their questions. After the hearing. over 100 questions were sent to and have been answered by Mr. ESPY. The responses will be included In the Agriculture Committees published hearing record. The committee met again on Tuesday and unanimously recommended by voice vote that Mr. ESPY be confirmed as President Clintons Secretary of Agriculture. This is indeed a great day for American agriculture and rural AmerIca: MIKE EsPY has a strong commitment to things that I believe ina renewed focus on rural America. support for the family farmer. and investment in nutrition programs. rural development projects. and trade and marketing programs. We all agree that the world has changed dramatically since our agriculture policies were crafted. Abraham Lincolns original mission for the Department of Agriculture served the Nation well. and FDR restructured the Department to deal with the problems that faced the United States during the Great Depression. Now it Is time for us to make another transition and lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture into the 21st century. USDA must adapt to the new realities of American agriculture and the U.S. economy. . The Department of Agriculture must be revitalized so that it will be in a position to refocus on environmental and marketing issuesissues that are essential to the survival of American agriculture. A revitalized Department of Agriculture will be a partner with farmers in helping to keep America a world leader in nutrition and food safety. agricultural production. marketing. conservation. and rural development. USDA can again be a driving force in agriculturea force that when teamed with farmers. can advance American agriculture and agricultural products to the front of world markets that are growing increasingly competitive. There are a number of key issues that face the new Secretary. The most demanding of which involve nutrition and food safety. agricultural production. conservation and the environment. rural development. trade. marketing. and congressional demands to restructure the Department. The Secretary of Agriculture must lead USDA through what will most likely prove to be a very demanding time. The new Secretary of Agriculture will have the responsibility of overseeing an 583 billion budget and some 115.000 employees. Managing and revitalizing the Department of Agriculture is a huge undertakingbut I believe President Clinton has made a great choice in nominating MIKE ESPY to be Secretary of Agriculture. I think that it is of great importance that President Clinton has chosen his longtime friend for this post. As such. Mr. EsPY will be in a position to bring agricultural and rural issues directly to the President--the plight of rural America will be on the Cabinet table and will not be lost in the shuffle. Mr. ESPY has served his district of rural Mississippi extremely well. He identified their agricultural problems and set about to solve them. He formed an agricultural advisory commission to guide him. and every 2 months the 65.000 farmers in his district got a letter from their Congressman. Such efforts. along with his role in passing legislation to create a Mississippi Delta Commission stand as an example of Mr. Espys understanding of and commitment to rural America. And we must be committed to rural AmericaIt can wait no longer. As we lose our small family farms. we lose not only our rural heritage. but the economic strength of our rural communities. In my work as chairman I have tried to give a voice to our small family farmers so they have a fighting chance. I know Mr. EsPy shares this commit- Secretary of HHS likely will play a ment. Family farmers are the back- large role in the crafting of national bone of his home district In Mississippi health reform legislation this year. just as they are in my home State of I share President Clintons goal to reVermont. I trust he will hold fast to form our health care system this Conthe responsibility of helping small gress. I also support many of the same farmers in all of rural America. health reform concepts. I know that the dairy farmers in Ver- I am a strong supporter of controlmont have been frustrated at the lng. health costs by combining manclosed doors at USDA. Their sugges- aged competition and global budgeting. tions for dairy reform made sense to We are the only industrialized country both dairy farmers and the taxpayers. that fails to budget our health care but were ignored or opposed by the De- spending. And this is a major reason partment in recent years. I was reas- why we spend so much more than other sured by MIKE Espys openness to new countries on health care even though ideas in this area when we met last our health statistics are lower. week. However. I have two major concerns. MIKE ESPY represents the best of First. I am concerned about how rural America. He is a symbol of posi- rural areas. like Montana. will fare tive changes for the Department of Ag- under comprehensive health reform. I riculturethe Department that touch- hear a lot of talk about managed comes each and every American. MIKE petition. But what will happen in areas EsPY has a rural heritage that will where there are not any doctors to guide him at USDA. and stands as our compete? Or if reimbursement rates assurance that rural America will not are set too low so that needed rural be left behind. hospitals are forced to close? I admire MIKE Espy. I admire the Rural areas face unique health care work that he has accomplished in the problems. It is not enough to increase House of. Representatives. We broke the number of people with health Innew ground with the 1990 farm bill. and eurance. National health reform must I look forward to working together address the delivery and access probwith the new Secretary and with the lems faced in rural areas. Department. National health reform can be a treI am confident that MIKE EsPY is the mendous improvement for rural areas right person to lead the Department of if it is structured correctly. I urge Dr. Agriculture. MIKE EsPY will indeed be Shalala to pay close attention to rural the Secretary for Agriculture. health care needs as she moves forward STATEMENT ON THE CONFIRMATION OF DONNA on health reform legislation. SHALALA I am also concerned about setting up