Date: 1990-10-07
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. let me tell my distinguished colleague and dear friend that he did not hear me throughout this long minute mention this side or that side. That was one of the things that I was trying to get away from. because I do not feel that I want to point the finger at any official. My dissatisfaction is with the Director of the OMB. that is the one and only one that I feel about. because that is where the figures the administration is using comes from. Again. I did not come here to say this side or that side. All I came here to say was how agriculture benefits the entire country. how agriculture supports and provides that which is needed for our country. but yet somehow there is this benign neglect of agriculture because of erroneous conceptions. Now. let me just finish once again. You may have heard my summary story. Why all this thing about agriculture? Why all this stuff about agriculture? Well. let me tell you. you have seen what is happening now in the world. that there is our Secretary of State meeting with a distinguished Member or the Foreign Minister of another country. but along with him is the Soviet Unions Foreign Minister. You have seen what is happening in Poland. Czechoslovakia. Hungary. and to some degree Romania. the emergence of democracies. This came about for one reason and one reason only. Our main concern was between the United States and the Soviet Union. Each side had enough megatonnage to destroy the world as we know it. but the deterrent. and we have to admit. and sadly. I do. was military. We did not convince them with life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They were convinced that they did not want to have a miscalculation or go over the brink because we had the megatonnage. We had to treat them with soft gloves for the same reasons. They had the megatonnage. but then eventually the process came where now you have the emerging democracies. Why? Because of the military deterrent? No. Every minute of the day they knew where our troops were. but looked down. at them from above: Every October 7. 1.990 October 7. 19.90 CO] minute of the day they knew- where our silos were. Everybody knew where our silos were. I was in Montana one evening and I said. "What are all those lights over there?" "Thats where our silos are." Everybody knew where they were. Every minute of the day they saw from above where our planes were on the ground or in the air. Every minute of the day they knew where our ships were. in port or at sea. The only thing they did not know where it was were the submarines. under the water. One submarine had enough megatonnage to destroy the world. That was the deterrent. That is what kept them from going. over the brink. That is what eventually brought the emerging democracies and all this cooperation that we now have. Now. the question was. how long can you keep a submarine under water? Well. I went on a submarine. nuclear powered and nuclear armed. and asked the question of the captainif you just would allow me 30 more seconds. because this is the vital part. This is what my whole discourse. my whole 1 minute this evening is all about. I asked the captain of the submarine. "How long can you keep the submarine under water?" Now I know that the submarine can outlast the propellant. but at that time I did not know. So I said. "How long can you keep it under water?" He replied. "Well. why dont you take a guess." So I was thinking of the propellant. long 15 years. short zero. so I said. "Seven years." He looked at me and he smiled and he said noa very young man. By the way. the average age. the median age of our submariners is 23 years old. Those people who are driving those submarines are 23 years old. That is the median. But I said 7 years. Well. his reply was. "No. I can keep the submarine under water-" and reminding you. that is what brought about all the emerging democracies. that is what kept peace in the worldI asked him how long. He said. "As long as I have food for my crew." So who is responsible for peace in the world? Who is responsible for the emerging democracies? That submarine. And who kept that submarine under water and managed properly? The farmers and ranchers of America. the producers. So I leave you. I think my time has run out.