[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 271 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 271

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the termination of subsidies 
         for the export of durum wheat from the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 1994

 Mr. Andrews of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Meehan) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                              Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the termination of subsidies 
         for the export of durum wheat from the United States.

Whereas the United States has produced in excess of 11,613,000,000 bushels of 
        wheat since 1989 and exported 6,151,000,000 bushels during this same 
        period;
Whereas such wheat exports have been subsidized by the Federal Government for a 
        total payment in excess of $4,838,410,152 since 1985;
Whereas, due to United States policies, only 250,000,000 bushels of the 
        484,000,000 bushels of durum wheat that were produced between 1989 and 
        1994 were available for purchase for the domestic pasta industry, which 
        required 381,000,000 bushels to fulfill its production requirements;
Whereas these purchasers of durum wheat have been forced to seek a supplemental 
        supply of durum wheat from Canada due to severe shortages of this 
        commodity in the United States;
Whereas any limit on access to durum wheat will have a direct effect on the 
        domestic pasta industry's ability to compete and maintain its employees;
Whereas the domestic pasta industry currently faces increased competition from 
        imported pasta at prices below United States cost of production;
Whereas despite the shortage of an adequate supply of durum wheat to meet 
        domestic pasta production needs, United States taxpayers continue to 
        subsidize the sale of exported wheat through the Export Enhancement 
        Program; and
Whereas some of the targeted export enhancement countries that have purchased 
        taxpayer subsidized durum wheat are major exporters of finished pasta 
        products to the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture 
should refuse to subsidize the export of durum wheat under the Export 
Enhancement Program or any other program under the jurisdiction of the 
Secretary--
            (1) in any calendar year succeeding a calendar year in 
        which the domestic harvest of quality durum wheat is inadequate 
        to meet the needs of pasta producers in the United States; and
            (2) in any calendar year in which there are in effect any 
        trade restrictions on the importation of durum wheat into the 
        United States, including quotas, ad valorem tariffs, or tariff 
        rate quotas.

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