Date: 1993-08-06
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding this time to me. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the motion by our distinguished colleague. the gentleman from New Mexico. who as always is very perceptive of the situations we find ourselves in. I think at this point In time it would be worthwhile that we ask the GAO to again look at this program. because it has become the darling of the sensational media. This is not the people. Somehow I feel that we have Serbs killing Moslems. Bosnians killing Croats. We have a reshuffling of the government in Japan. We do not know what is going to happen in China. if Indeed Deng Xiaoping passed away. We have yet to work out something with Vietnam. The world is in turmoil and here we are discussing the honey program that costs $17 million. I think. Mr. Speaker. there should be a more serious attempt to address the issue of the day. Last night. yielding to some of this irresponsible media hype on the honey program. we felt that maybe it was worthwhile that we should do something. and we did. We ratcheted it down in 4 years to the level of the other programs. which is 550.000 a year. Also. the Senate approved in this measure. while in the Senate. $50.000 that we were willing to accept. The problem is--and last night I think should be an examplelast night we were speaking about jobs. These are jobs. some 12.000 jobs in rural America. some 4.000 honey producers. But let me tell you what the biggest problem is. We have a GSP with China. but China is Inundating the United States. the Chinese shipments of honey have increased 226 percent since 1987. We have a onepenny tariff on honey. China has 60some dollars. Most countries in the world have $27 and $30. So the problem that we have had is that foreign competition is inundating us with cheap honey and cheapcost honey. and we the Government have not done anything to alleviate the suffering or to protect our producers. Now. let me say that this again is not a subsidy. I do not think any of those advocating this proposal understand the honey program. they do not understand what it does. It is a marketing tool in order to protect the producers in the United States of America. Are you for U.S. producers? Are you for protecting our national interests? Are you for protecting those who are abused by foreign competition? If you are. then you have to go along with us. The only alternative we can find at this point in time is that perhaps because there is so much ignorance. there is so much confusion. there is so much misinterpretation and there is this media hype that will give anyone who mentions this program a headline. that we find ourselves having to discuss it while the world burns. Here we are discussing the honey program. $17 million. while the world burns. Secretaries of State are resigning. We do not know if Deng Xiaoping has passed away. The Japanese Government is in turmoil. We are negotiating in Geneva. We do not know if the Russians are going to dismantle their nuclear weapons. We do not know if the Ukraine is going to dismantle its nuclear weapons. We do not know what is happening in the world. Oh. but we here are debating the honey program. I think we ought to pass the amendment of the gentleman from New Mexico and at least have a GAO study. the honey program versus Bosnia. versus Japan. versus China. versus all the other producers that inundate us with cheap honey and will kill a viable American enterprise. Free enterprise. I hear so much from that side. the entrepreneurs. This is what we are trying to do. a little marketing program for the entrepreneurs.