[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 16, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4046-H4050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
General Leave
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 891 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 2.
The Chair appoints the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell) to
preside over the Committee of the Whole.
{time} 1653
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 2) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and
other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year
2023, and for other purposes, with Mr. Mitchell in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway) and the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Peterson) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2, the
Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, more commonly known as the farm
bill. I do so, proudly, because I still believe that rural America and
our farm and ranch familles are the backbone of this country.
Our farmers and ranchers ensure that Americans across this great
country pay the lowest grocery bills in the world. They also hand us a
rare trade surplus, while creating 21 million American jobs.
In the heartland, agriculture is the lifeblood of the economy. When
agriculture does well, Main Street does well; and when agriculture is
suffering, so is Main Street.
But beyond the economic contributions, rural America and our Nation's
farmers and ranchers are imbued with the values that I cherish deeply:
the values of faith, family, God, country, and duty; of neighbor
helping neighbor, hard work, and personal responsibility.
In short, Mr. Chairman, rural America and our Nation's farmers and
ranchers make America great. I expect that is why the President of the
United States strongly supports this farm bill and urges passage.
Times are not good right now in the heartland. Our Nation's farmers
and ranchers are struggling in the midst of a 5-year recession, with no
end in sight. Net farm income has been cut in half over this period of
time. As a result, rural America is not partaking in the economic
recovery that urban counterparts are experiencing.
There are many reasons behind the hard times in farm and ranch
country. I will briefly discuss two.
In my hometown of Midland, Texas, we have received 1 inch of rain
over the last 195 days. Drought is ravaging my State. Last year, we saw
record losses due to hurricanes and wildfires. And to the north, in the
ranking member's home State, farmers are struggling to get into the
fields to plant, although it is the middle of May. The fact is the men
and women who clothe and feed us in a manner that is absolutely
unrivaled in world history are the ones hit hardest and first by Mother
Nature.
A second reason for the current condition is another factor totally
beyond the control of our farm and ranch families: the predatory trade
practices of foreign countries. For the sake of brevity, I will offer
just one example.
In just 1 year, China oversubsidized just three crops by more than $1
billion. To put that in perspective, the entire safety net for all of
our farmers and ranchers under this farm bill is expected to cost just
64 percent of the amount China spent on illegal subsidies in just 1
year on just three crops.
Mr. Chairman, the global market is awash with high and rising foreign
subsidies, tariffs, and nontariff trade barriers, and these are hurting
American farmers and ranchers.
So what do we do about that? We heed the call of the President of the
United States and the Secretary of Agriculture to pass this farm bill.
No, this farm bill is not a cure for all that ails rural America and
our farmers and ranchers, but this farm bill does provide a safety net
to see them through the hard times.
For my colleagues interested in the budgetary impacts of this farm
bill, H.R. 2 keeps faith with taxpayers, with CBO now projecting more
than $112 billion in savings, nearly five times what was pledged back
in 2014.
There are many other aspects of this farm bill, but I will just
briefly touch on three.
First, Secretary Perdue has shown great leadership on two particular
issues that are extremely important to rural America: the opioid
epidemic that is ravaging rural America needs an aggressive, effective
response, and the lack of broadband in many parts of rural America puts
farmers and ranchers in rural communities at a terrible disadvantage.
The Secretary is determined to tackle these problems and has asked for
the tools he needs to make it happen. This farm bill provides those
tools.
Second, it is no secret that we do not have a bipartisan farm bill
process at this moment, and that I deeply regret. Ultimately, Democrats
and Republicans chose to agree to disagree on the question of whether
work-capable adults should work or get free job training for 20 hours
per week in order to be eligible for SNAP.
I respect my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, but I do want
to be clear about something: This farm bill in no way, shape, or form
disrespects Americans who depend on SNAP. To the contrary, the farm
bill keeps faith with SNAP beneficiaries, providing needed benefits and
something more--the dignity that comes with work and the promise of a
better life that a job brings. I want these Americans to realize the
American Dream.
Finally, in closing, I want to note that there is a cottage industry
in this town that is determined to defeat this farm bill. They want
this House to ignore the realities of Mother Nature and
[[Page H4047]]
the predatory trade practices of foreign countries and turn our back on
farm and ranch families struggling to hang on in the face of these hard
times.
Mr. Chairman, that should not happen on our watch. I urge my
colleagues to stand by the hardworking families that put food on our
tables and clothes on our backs and still live every day by the values
that made this country truly great. Let's stand up for rural America.
Let's pass this farm bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC, April 30, 2018.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bishop: I appreciate your support in bringing
this legislation before the House of Representatives, and
accordingly, understand that the Committee on Natural
Resources will forego action on the bill.
The Committee on Agriculture concurs in the mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of the bill at
this time, the Committee on Natural Resources does not waive
any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this
bill or similar legislation in the future. In addition,
should a conference on this bill be necessary, I would
support your request to have the Committee on Natural
Resources represented on the conference committee.
I will insert copies of this exchange in the Congressional
Record during Floor consideration. I appreciate your
cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to
continuing to work the Committee on Natural Resources as this
bill moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, April 30, 2018.
Hon. K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I have received your letter regarding
H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, which
contains provisions within the jurisdiction of the Committee
on Natural Resources.
In the interest of permitting you to proceed expeditiously
to floor consideration of this very important bill, I will
not seek a referral of H.R. 2. I do so with the understanding
that the Natural Resources Committee does not waive any
future jurisdictional claim over the subject matter contained
in the bill that fall within its Rule X jurisdiction.
Further, I appreciate the work between our committees on
forest management and look forward to working with you to
build upon the important provisions within Title VIII of the
bill as it moves through the legislative process. I also
appreciate your support to name members of the Natural
Resources Committee to any conference committee to consider
such provisions and for inserting our exchange of letters on
H.R. 2 into the Congressional Record during consideration of
the measure on the House floor.
Congratulations on marshalling this monumental achievement
through committee, and thank you again for the very
cooperative spirit in which you and your staff have worked
regarding this matter and many others between our respective
committees.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, May 1, 2018.
Hon. K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Conaway: I write with respect to H.R. 2, the
``Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018.'' As a result of
your having consulted with us on provisions within H.R. 2
that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on
the Judiciary, I forego any further consideration of this
bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor
for consideration.
The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 2 at
this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation and that our
committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as
this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may
address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our
committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this or similar legislation and asks
that you support any such request.
I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming
this understanding with respect to H.R. 2 and would ask that
a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included
in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of
H.R. 2.
Sincerely,
Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC, May 1, 2018.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Goodlatte: Thank you for your letter
regarding H.R. 2. I appreciate your support in bringing this
legislation before the House of Representatives, and
accordingly, understand that the Committee on the Judiciary
will forego action on the bill.
The Committee on Agriculture concurs in the mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of the bill at
this time, the Committee on the Judiciary does not waive any
jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this bill
or similar legislation in the future. In addition, should a
conference on this bill be necessary, I would support your
request to have the Committee on the Judiciary represented on
the conference committee.
I will insert copies of this exchange in the Congressional
Record during Floor consideration. I appreciate your
cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to
continuing to work the Committee on the Judiciary as this
bill moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman.
____
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives, Washington DC.
May 2, 2018.
Hon. K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC.
I write concerning H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition
Act of 2018. This legislation includes matters that fall
within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure.
I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this
legislation before the House of Representatives in an
expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure will forego action on the
bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual
understanding that foregoing consideration of the bill does
not prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment
of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the
subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation
that fall within the Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. Lastly,
should a conference on the bill be necessary, I request your
support for the appointment of conferees from the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure during any House-Senate
conference convened on this or related legislation.
I would ask that a copy of this letter and your response
acknowledging our jurisdictional interest as well as the
mutually agreed upon changes to be incorporated into the bill
be included in the Congressional Record during consideration
of the measure on the House floor, to memorialize our
understanding.
I look forward to working with the Committee on Agriculture
as the bill moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC, May 2, 2018.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Shuster: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. I appreciate
your support in bringing this legislation before the House of
Representatives, and accordingly, understand that the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forego
action on the bill.
The Committee on Agriculture concurs in the mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of the bill at
this time, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
does not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter
contained in this bill or similar legislation in the future.
In addition, should a conference on this bill be necessary, I
would support your request to have the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure represented on the
conference committee.
I will insert copies of this exchange in the Congressional
Record during Floor consideration. I appreciate your
cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to
continuing to work the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure as this bill moves through the legislative
process.
Sincerely,
K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the
Workforce,
Washington, DC, May 2, 2018.
Hon. K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write to confirm our mutual
understanding with respect to H.R. 2, the Agriculture and
Nutrition Act of 2018. Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on Education and the Workforce with regard to H.R.
2 on those matters within my committee's jurisdiction,
including provisions relating to workplace safety, work
requirements, and child nutrition.
The Committee on Education and the Workforce will not delay
further consideration of this bill. However, I do so only
with
[[Page H4048]]
the understanding this procedural route will not be construed
to prejudice my committee's jurisdictional interest and
prerogatives on this bill or any other similar legislation
and will not be considered as precedent for consideration of
matters of jurisdictional interest to my committee in the
future.
I respectfully request your support for the appointment of
outside conferees from the Committee on Education and the
Workforce should this bill or a similar bill be considered in
a conference with the Senate. I also request you include our
exchange of letters on this matter in the Committee Report
for H.R. 2. Thank you for your attention to these matters.
Sincerely,
Virginia Foxx,
Chairwoman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC, May 2, 2018.
Hon. Virginia Foxx,
Chairwoman, Committee on Education and Workforce, Washington,
DC.
Dear Chairwoman Foxx: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. I appreciate
your support in bringing this legislation before the House of
Representatives, and accordingly, understand that the
Committee on Education and Workforce will forego action on
the bill.
The Committee on Agriculture concurs in the mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of the bill at
this time, the Committee on Education and Workforce does not
waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in
this bill or similar legislation in the future. In addition,
should a conference on this bill be necessary, I would
support your request to have the Committee on Education and
Workforce represented on the conference committee.
I will insert copies of this exchange in the Congressional
Record during Floor consideration. I appreciate your
cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to
continuing to work the Committee on Education and Workforce
as this bill moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, May 15, 2018.
Hon. Michael K. Conaway,
Chairman, House Agriculture Committee, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write to confirm our mutual
understanding regarding H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition
Act of 2018, which contains substantial matter that falls
within the Rule X legislative jurisdiction of the Foreign
Affairs Committee. I appreciate the consultation and
cooperation between our committees, both before and after
your markup of that bill.
Based on that cooperation and our associated
understandings, and in order to expedite House consideration,
the Foreign Affairs Committee agreed not to seek a sequential
referral of H.R. 2, with the understanding that that decision
in no way diminishes or alters the jurisdictional interests
of the Foreign Affairs Committee in that bill, any subsequent
amendments, or similar legislation. I respectfully request
your support for the appointment of House Foreign Affairs
conferees during any House-Senate conference on this
legislation.
Finally, I respectfully request that you include this
letter and your response in the Congressional Record during
consideration of H.R. 2 on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC, May 15, 2018.
Hon. Ed Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. I appreciate
your support in bringing this legislation before the House of
Representatives, and accordingly, understand that the
Committee on Foreign Affairs will forego action on the bill.
The Committee on Agriculture concurs in the mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of the bill at
this time, the Committee on Foreign Affairs does not waive
any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this
bill or similar legislation in the future. In addition,
should a conference on this bill be necessary, I would
support your request to have the Committee on Foreign Affairs
represented on the conference committee.
I will insert copies of this exchange in the Congressional
Record during Floor consideration. I appreciate your
cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to
continuing to work the Committee on Foreign Affairs as this
bill moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman.
{time} 1700
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2, the Agriculture and
Nutrition Act of 2018. H.R. 2 is not a work product that I am proud of
because it is not one that I or my Democratic colleagues had much of a
role in producing.
More than that though, I am opposed to H.R. 2 today because it is
simply not good enough for American farmers, consumers, or rural
advocates. H.R. 2 fails our farmers. The bill does not improve the
safety-net programs farmers need to manage a troubled farm economy. It
fails to make needed increases to reference prices under the PLC
program to address the 52 percent drop in national farm income.
It neglects repeated requests to increase funding for trade promotion
to help strengthen overseas markets in response to this
administration's actions on trade and renewable fuels.
H.R. 2 fails our Nation's hungry. While I agree that there are
changes that need to be made in the SNAP program, this is so clearly
not the way to do it. The bill cuts more than $23 billion in SNAP
benefits and will result in an estimated 2 million Americans being
unable to get help that they need.
Within the nutrition title, the bill turns around and wastes billions
that the majority cut from SNAP benefits to create a massive, untested
workforce training bureaucracy.
H.R. 2 fails our conservation goals by reducing the Federal funding
for our voluntary conservation programs by almost $800 million. It
fails our next generation. It lacks mandatory funding for scholarships
at 1890 land grants. It underfunds our programs for beginning farmers,
and outreach to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
H.R. 2, also fails our energy independence goals. Aside from
eliminating the entire energy title, the bill hobbles renewable energy
and energy efficiency efforts in rural communities by eliminating
funding for the Rural Energy for America Program.
H.R. 2 fails the farmers, rural advocates, and consumers that we are
here to represent on all of these fronts. But what is so incredibly
frustrating for me is, the failure of this process.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Chairman, I would simply say for the record that all
of the bill was negotiated--except for the SNAP title--in good faith
with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Not once did they
mention anything on many of these issues that were just brought up, but
we did have an agreement on those non-SNAP titles. It was a SNAP title,
quite frankly, that caused the rift.
Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Thompson), my colleague, the chairman of the Nutrition Subcommittee.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman of the
Agriculture Committee so much for yielding, and for his tireless work
on this important legislation in order to support rural America and our
most vulnerable.
Over the past 3 years, the Agriculture Committee has spent countless
hours talking with constituents, performing outreach, and holding
hearings with stakeholders to see how we can improve upon the 2014 farm
bill.
Contrary to the claims of some, this legislation was not created in
the dead of night or without input from my friends across the aisle.
Mr. Chairman, I have before me a letter that was sent to Chairman
Conaway and Ranking Member Peterson with priorities identified by the
Democratic Members that I am proud to serve with on the Agriculture
Committee. I am proud to see--under nutrition specifically--all of
these, and I believe all of these titles, these priorities were
incorporated into the farm bill.
Over this 3-year period, we held 21 hearings and heard from 81
witnesses at the Nutrition Subcommittee alone. Members of the
Agriculture Committee traveled to every corner of the country to
participate in listening sessions and obtain vital input from our
farmers, our ranchers, and our growers.
As the farm bill was in development at the committee, every Member
had the opportunity to provide input and that input was considered
during this process. Yet, even with an open process, no amendments were
offered during the committee markup by my
[[Page H4049]]
friends across the aisle. That is an opportunity for refinement, as is
being on the House floor an opportunity for refinement.
From voluntary insurance programs, to conservation in rural
development programs, to agriculture research, H.R. 2 contains critical
supports for our Nation's farmers, ranchers, and rural America.
On the farm side, I am especially pleased with the continued reforms
to the Margin Protection Program for Dairy, as well as the forestry
provisions in title VIII. Now, while I could go on about all of these
good policies contained in H.R. 2, this legislation ultimately is about
supporting American food--both on the farm, and on the consumer side.
Food is a national security issue. And whether we realize it or not,
every American shakes hands with a farmer at least three times a day.
As chairman of the Nutrition Subcommittee, I am proud that we maintain
nutrition assistance for our most vulnerable through the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program. Approximately 65 percent of these dollars
directly provide food to children, the elderly, and persons with
disabilities who rely on benefits of SNAP when times get tough.
H.R. 2 also does make historic changes to SNAP by providing new job
opportunities for work-capable adults. This bill does this by
reinvesting significant dollars within our budget into education and
training programs.
By providing the States the increased resources to do this, every
work-capable SNAP recipient will be guaranteed a slot in a job-training
program, leading to ultimate food security. By doing this, we can help
folks elect a pathway to long-term employment, self-sufficiency, and a
way out of poverty.
Mr. Chair, I ask that Members support H.R. 2.
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott).
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, let me make it very clear
at the very beginning, that this is a racist farm bill. Make no mistake
about it.
The good Lord said: Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free. And the truth is that this is, unfortunately, a racist farm
bill. Let me tell you why.
After the Civil War when the South was utterly destroyed, they
established land-grant colleges, and then 30 years later, because there
was so much struggle without adequate freedom for my people--African
Americans--they established the 1890 land-grant colleges because they
had Plessy v. Ferguson, the separate but equal doctrine. Yeah, they
were separated already, but never equal.
These 1890 colleges have never gotten the financial support that they
have needed to even come close to the White 1860s that were there. And
so we tried to make amends in this farm bill to come up with a very
noble idea. With the shortage of younger people not going into
agriculture, not going into science and technology and research to feed
the future, we established scholarships to go to the 1890s.
But you know what? When they took our bill, put it into the farm
bill, they took the money out--just like they did back in the 1890s.
Black people in this country have suffered too long, and we need to put
a stop to it. I am here. I know that this House will not put the money
back in. It was just $1 million a year for each of the 5 years to try
to get people in. And these land grants knew.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Every Black man does not necessarily want
to play football or basketball. They want to feed the future. This is a
terrible bill.
The CHAIR. The gentleman is no longer recognized.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. * * *
The CHAIR. The gentleman is no longer recognized.
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. * * *
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Chair, I would like to recognize the fact that this
brand-spanking-new program that never had any funding is authorized in
the bill for discretionary spending to create the scholarship program
that has just been referenced. There was no money taken out of the
bill, because there was never any money in the program.
We simply recognized the need and we set that program up in place as
a direct result of the gentleman's passionate plea for a scholarship
program.
Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).
Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the yielding and the
work that has been put in to get this farm bill together.
First thing that I am happy about, it has the protect interstate
commerce language in it, which passed in committee by simply a voice
vote. It is well-established. It protects and preserves the commerce
clause. We can't have States regulating interstate commerce. That
violates the commerce clause. This restores it. That is item number
one.
Item number two, in title I, we have in the bill that we protect the
PLC program. We improve and protect the ARC program, and we protect the
crop insurance. All of that keeps our families on the farm, and if we
don't have that, market fluctuations take them off.
We have also increased funding for the MAP program, Market Access
Program, and for the Foreign Market Development Program. We have got
another FMD program too, and that is the vaccine bank that is in this
bill.
Putting work into the SNAP program is an important component. All
work has dignity. All work has honor. It is a good start for what we
need to do to get a lot better turnout of what goes on with our welfare
programs.
Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for putting this bill together here
on this floor today.
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Chair, I am now pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge).
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman so very much for the fight
he put up during this process.
Mr. Chair, I stand today with my Democratic colleagues fighting for
the very soul of America. Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty are these
words:
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning
to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
We have lost our way, Mr. Chair. There is no longer a lamp, nor a
golden door. And if we fail to protect the weak, the frail, the poor,
the children, the seniors, and the disabled, we have lost our soul. We
no longer live up to the promise of America and the true meaning of our
creed.
Mr. Chair, it is just cruel to American families and food producers,
those who rely on farm bill programs, to put them at risk, only to
carry out a hateful, demeaning, and mean-spirited partisan agenda. It
is dishonest to promote the idea that SNAP recipients are undeserving;
that we are lazy.
Sixty-five percent of our SNAP recipients cannot work. They are
children, seniors, and disabled. And most of the others do work--some
of them in the very building in which we stand today.
Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues: What have poor children ever done to
you? What have seniors done to you? What have the disabled ever done to
you? Republicans are paying for the $2 trillion debt they created in
the tax bill on the backs of the poor. It is just sad, Mr. Chair.
Really, really sad.
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost).
Mr. BOST. Mr. Chairman, I hear from my constituents in southern
Illinois that rural America is hurting. That is why we need the farm
bill, to address the concerns facing agriculture all over rural
America.
The farm bill does just that. The farm bill protects the farm safety
net, including commodity programs and crop insurance, invests in rural
broadband, modernizes FSA loan programs for new and beginning farmers
and ranchers, and invests in conservation.
President Eisenhower once said: ``Farming looks mighty easy when your
plow is a pencil and you're 1,000 miles from a corn field.'' Those
words hold true today, and that is why this bill was crafted with those
farmers in mind, because farmers are everyone's bread and butter.
[[Page H4050]]
The CHAIR. The Committee will rise informally.
The Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Bost) assumed the chair.
____________________