Date: 1983-07-29
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I wish to assure my distinguished colleague from Massachusetts and friend that our committee is never one to impose on the Appropriations Committee and that this is a rare and unusual circumstance. I can assure the gentleman that it Is not a common day otcurrence. The fact is that the House has already acted on this legislation. and this is the earliest possible vehicle for completing legislative action by the Congress. I do not believe that we have stretched the rule. We have secured from the Rules Committee the necessary waiver and the House has agreed to it. . I would like to say one further thing Governments obligation to them with relation to the subject matter. under the paymentinkind program. That it is not a windfall. as many be- Without the openbid program lieve. to wealthy ranchers. It is a need which the title provides. many cottonof the smaller farmer. The Depart- growers will have to default on futures ment of Agriculture. rightly or contracts covering their 1983 crop or wrongly. misjudged the amount of their PIK entitlements. The industry cotton that they had. For the bigger would be mired In years of costly litiones it makes no difference. gation as a result. Although the growThe smaller farmer is being asked to ers could buy contrapts to provide the sell his cotton to the Government for additional cotton. the vastly changed use as PIK payments because the De- - market for cotton has made that partment misjudged how many bales option economically untenable for they had. Some of them had forward many growers. contracted their cotton with the assur- These growers should not be reances of the Department that no such quired to suffer for PIK when producrequest would be made of them. There ers of other commodities such as was even a conference call with several wheat and feed grains have been token small growers by the Secretary of Ag- care of by USDA under the 1983 P1K. riculture where the Secretary assured program. These other commodities them to go ahead and forward con- were in similar short supply until tract. but join the PIK because their USDA offered attractive bids to obtain participation was needed for the wel- sufficient stores of wheat and feed fare of the Nation and the welfare of grains for PIK. Cottongrowers now the program. He stated that they face a very serious situation unless should go ahead and sign up with the Congress requires USDA to go after assurance that they would not be re- surplus cotton with the same high bids quired to turn over their eotton to the with which It pursued wheat and feed Government for use as PIK payments. grains. It is a matter of equity. Mr. Well. unfortunately. it did come to Speaker. and I ask my colleagues to pass. And again. I repeat. it does not help deliver this equity to the Nations impose a burden on the budget. We cotton farmers. Otherwise. for them. have already passed and approved leg- PIK will not be godsend. It will be a islation that accommodates this nightmare. amount It is not an added burden on Mr. DE LA GARZA. I thank the genthe budget tleman for his comments. and I thank But I can assure my distinguished my distinguished chairman. chairman and my friend from Massa- Mr. WHITTEN. Mr. Speaker. I yield chusetts that this is one of those very myself such time as I may consume. rare and few circumstances in which May I say. Mr. Speaker. that I apwe ask your cooperation. preciate the statement that has been