[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 53 (Thursday, May 5, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          USDA REORGANIZATION

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, on April 13, the Senate overwhelmingly 
passed legislation which would reorganize the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture. These efforts date back to the early eighties, when 
President Reagan organized the President's private sector survey on 
cost control, the so-called Grace Commission, to evaluate ways to 
streamline Government agencies and programs. While some of those 
recommendations were adopted, most were left untouched.
  Later, under President Bush, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Madigan 
continued in the spirit of the Grace Commission by developing a plan 
which significantly reorganized the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
After many years of hard work by both Republicans and Democrats, we 
have before us a bill which streamlines the USDA. I commend Secretary 
Espy for continuing the legacy left by his Republican predecessors.
  This legislation is a compromise between many competing interests. I 
believe all of us agree that USDA, and for that matter other Federal 
agencies, should be reorganized. The issue at hand is how to best go 
about it.
  Mr. President, Secretary Espy said last year that the consolidation 
should start at the top. While many of us agreed with his approach, it 
obviously will not be an easy task. Federal jobs--whether in Washington 
or at the local level--seem to be viewed by many as permanent unless 
they are in somebody else's county or State.
  My chief concern with reorganization has been that local service to 
the farmer be maintained. While there were attempts to take away local 
control, in the end we developed a plan that allows farmers to control 
their area offices through a farmer-elected county committee structure.
  I am hopeful the administration will be willing to go even further 
and offer some fresh proposals that get at the real problem--the laws 
passed by Congress and the regulations promulgated by USDA agencies. We 
simply cannot continue feeding an every growing bureaucracy by creating 
new programs and expanding those that already exist. The farmer is at 
the other end bearing the brunt of all of this well-intentioned yet 
costly and time-consuming paperwork
  Last year I wrote Vice President Gore asking that as we move though 
the debate on reinventing government, we take a serious look at 
reducing paperwork to the farmers, ranchers, and small business men and 
women. I pointed out the Agricultural Program Reporting and 
Recordkeeping Improvement Act, which was included in the 1990 farm 
bill. The act instructed USDA to develop a method for decreasing 
paperwork for farmers and ranchers. I further encouraged the Vice 
President to consider adopting a goal of reducing these paperwork 
requirements by 50 percent within 2 years.
  I understand USDA is now working towards these goals through such 
programs as info share and I commend Secretary Espy for his efforts in 
this area. I urge the Department to continue to work towards the end 
goal that we set in 1990.
  I hope the USDA reorganization bill is the first of many agency 
reorganization bills that come before the Senate. The people have made 
it clear that they want a smaller, less intrusive, more efficient 
Government and this bill responds to those demands.

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