Date: 1990-07-25
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. we have had a long debate. Members have heard a lot of figures. a lot of facts. a lot of rhetoric. a lot of philosophy. But here is the basic bottom line. We have a good program. This amendment is a meat ax approach to our program. Here is what it costs. less than 1 percent. .6. This is what the whole program costs. Here is what It gets us: 10.4 percent of disposable income per family contrasted with Canada 11.5. Denmark 16.4. Sweden. 17.9. What is the cost to the farmer? The cost to the farmer. that has not been discussed: $150.000 for a 5row cotton picker. $150.000 for a large 8row combine. $15.000 for a planter. $15.000 for a pickup. $75.000 for a 150horsepower tractor. This is what It costs the farmer. big and small. We are what we are because of our antecedents. Mr. Chairman. Let me quote from an article from the Houston Post. In part it says: "A nation that sacrifices its farmers is a nation ruled by fools or enemies." "A nation that sacrifices its farmers Is a nation ruled by fools or enemies." It makes no distinction. Can Members Imagine a shoeshine boy from Mission. TX. being accused of protecting the rich and the greedy? Ridiculous. It is even insulting that I would be accused of protecting the greedy and the rich. It is that we have a good system and it works well. and I do not care about headlines. or rhetoric or editorials. I am here to do what is right for America. and what is right for America is. as this man said. if we rule out our farmers we are either being ruled on by fools or enemies. Let me give the Members something else. The other day we talked about jobs. jobs. jobs. That is it. For every pound of sugar you do not raise. it comes from abroad. For every cotton bale you do not raise. it comes from abroad. lor every 100 pounds of wool you do not raise. it comes from abroad. For every 100 pounds of mohair you do not raise. it comes from abroad. For every fruit and vegetable you do not raise. it comes from abroad. That is what we are talking about. But finally. let me go back to this editorial. "If we give up our manufacturing base." and we already have. "if we give up our technological base." and we are about to. "if we give up our energy and strategic minerals independence. if we sell off our assets to foreign buyers. if we as a last stroke destroy our farmers." large and small. "what * * * will be left of the United States? A few banks and a large peasant population." 0l 1930 That is what is going to be left. That is the issue here. not about the rich or who gets $100.000. The issue is that we have a good system. it is working. and if we dismantle it with a meat ax approach. it is like sending a mechanic who works on diesels to do brain surgery. That is what this amendment is all about. And the people who sponsor It in goodwill. I have no problem with. but we need the large and we need the small farmer. We need to protect the system. and basically It Is for the best. rich and poor. needy and hungry. You do not have food stamps. you do not have WIC. you do not have school lunch programs if you do not have the commodities. To have the commodities. you need the large and you need the small. So we are talking about America. we are talking about protecting the interests of the people of the United States of America. and if you let your farmers down the drain. rich or poor. big or small. you would have what this gentleman has said. we will have left "nothing but a few international banks and a large population of peanuts." Is that what you want to do? Vote "no" on the Schumer amendment.