[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       SENATOR DAVID DURENBERGER

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise to say goodbye to a colleague who 
has provided guidance and leadership for upper Midwest farmers on a 
great number of agricultural issues so important to producers in 
Wisconsin and Minnesota. Our rural constituents of Minnesota and 
Wisconsin are very similar in their tradition of small family farms as 
well as their philosophies about fairness and equity in farm programs 
and other government policies. Both Wisconsin and Minnesota are dairy 
States of similar structure and as such together our dairy farmers 
share the burden of a policy that discriminate against them.
  Senator Durenberger has sought to rectify the inequities of the 
existing Federal milk marketing order system. He has persistently 
introduced sound legislation to reform this discriminatory policy under 
which the dairy producers of our States must operate, even though 
chances for passage were bleak. Unfortunately, legislation that rights 
the wrongs inflicted on some regions while benefiting others is quite 
difficult to fulfill in a democratic body such as ours. I respect his 
perseverance despite these barriers to reform and I am proud to have 
cosponsored his Dairy Equity Act of 1993. He has been a great resource 
on this very technical issue and I will miss his extensive knowledge 
and leadership on Federal milk marketing order reform.
  Senator Durenberger must have a knack for recognizing when something 
is broken because during his tenure in this body he took on reform of 
another very technical but very important farm program. The Federal 
Crop Insurance Program, while well intentioned, has created problems 
for farmers throughout the country and the upper Midwest in terms of 
inadequate coverage, uncertain coverage and high costs. Senator 
Durenberger's innovative ideas and solutions to the problems helped 
direct the Senate to finally pass crop insurance reform that embraced 
several of his reform proposals. It is a credit to his efforts that 
such extensive reform passed both the House and Senate unanimously just 
this week.
  I also have great admiration for Senator Durenberger's commitment to 
improving our health care system. While he and I may not have always 
agreed on what changes were necessary, I know that we have shared the 
same goal--to ensure that the best possible health care is available to 
all Americans. I respect his commitment on an issue that is so critical 
to this country and the health of American citizens.
  Mr. President, there are many other issues on which Senator Dave 
Durenberger showed tremendous leadership--from environmental policy to 
deficit reduction. But let me just say, Mr. President, in closing, that 
the U.S. Senate, American citizens and most definitely the people of 
Minnesota have benefited from the service of Senator Durenberger. I am 
proud to have had the privilege of serving with him.

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