Date: 1996-03-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman very much. Mr. Speaker. I accept your ovation on behalf of all of those who were the wind beneath my wings when we flew. Mr. Speaker. let me say that I thank all of my colleagues. and one final time. let me say that a long time ago I went on a submarine. I asked the commander how long he could keep that submarine underwater. We knew that the other side knew where our troops were. where our ships were. where our planes were. The only thing the other side did not know was where that submarine was under the ice cap. Because of this deterrent peace and democracy came out the winner throughout the world. When I asked the commander how long. he said. "As long as I have food for my crew." Mr. Speaker. it was farmers and ranchers of America for whom we worked tonight that brought the peace. that brought democracy. that made us the leader in the world we are today. and I dedicate this. my last words. to them who have kept us fedthe best fed people in the world. Mr. Speaker. I support the conference report on H.R. 2854. I do this with the recognition that this conferenice report is not perfect. Most legislation that we pass in Congress is not perfect. As I have said before. legislation is the art of the possible. and what is possible at this moment may not be possible 1 hour from now. However. as with any legislation. we as elected representatives must evaluate and decide whether or not. in its entirety. a specific piece of legislation addresses the concerns of our constituents. I have decided that this bill does just that. When the Agriculture Committee started the legislative process on H.R. 2854 we were very much divided. not only along regional lines. as most farm legislation is. but also along partisan lines. I am glad to report that the partisan differences have disappeared and we were able to come together as a body to do what is best for American agriculture. When we started this process. I had three major areas of concern. First was the lack of recognition that agriculture has contributed more to deficit reduction than any other major entitlement programand continues to do so. Yet. we were being asked to cut more than any other sector. This bill saves over $2 billion from the December baseline. and we are proud of the fact that agriculture is the only entitlement program to enact real budget deficit reduction this Congress. Clearly. agriculture has more than met its responsibility to budget deficit reduction. Indeed. with this bill. agriculture--once againcontinues to contribute more than its fair share to budget deficit reduction. Once again. agriculture leads the way to a balanced budget My second concern was centered on the lack of a safety net for farmers and therefore fOr consumers. Let everyone understand. to the extent that there is volatility in commodity prices. consumers will pay. We tried to design agricultural programs in the past that would ameliorate wide fluctuations. Were the programs perfect? No. Is this program perfect. No. However. this bill does go a long way in addressing flexibility and commodity distortions. Still. I am concerned that the loan rates may be too rigid in times of low prices. We are able to maintain the 1949 Act as permanent law. Although most would not advocate implementing the 1949 Act. it is important in that it reaffirms our future commitment to farmers and it will give us the impetus needed in 7 years to actively address agricultural programs. Frankly. I am concerned about the political -ability to maintain these guaranteed contracts in times of high prices or record farm income. However. I must trust that future Congresses will have the wisdom to do what is best for agriculture. My third concern was that the House bill failed to address the totality of circumstances in rural America. Gone is the time when we as policymakers could rely on farm programs alone to provide rural development The country is much more complex than that today. People need telecommunications and business and industrial development in addition to the very basic infrastructure development of water and waste water facilities. The Fund for Rural America goes a long way in addressing these rural development needs. By providing additional money for research it provides resources for the future of agriculture. It is through research that we will maintain our status as the premier food production system in the world. In addition. by reauthorizing the nutrition programs we ensure that our less fortunate neighbors are not left out To those who want welfare reform. reauthorizing the programs for 2 years still allows us to do what we need to do to get people to selfsufficiency while at the same time providing certainty to the beneficiaries of the continuation of the progra.ms. Once again. I support this bill. On the whole. it addresses my concerns regarding rural America. and I am hopeful that it will meet the needs of American agriculture and our Nation as we move into the 21st century. To the extent that problems arise during the next 7 years. I am confident that corrective action can be taken to address any such problems. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.