[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 4 (Monday, January 9, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S619-S621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, this morning I had the privilege of 
attending the 76th annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau 
Federation in St. Louis, MO.
  As my colleagues know, the American Farm Bureau is the largest farm 
organization in America, with over 4.4 million members nationwide. 
While in St. Louis, I met with both Kansas and American Farm Bureau 
members as they discussed issues of importance to agriculture and to 
all Americans.
  The theme of this year's meeting is ``The Spirit Grows.'' I believe 
that their theme reflects the spirit we have seen in American during 
the last few months. A growing spirit to change America and to bring 
common sense back to Government. Like most Americans, members of the 
American Farm Bureau want change.
  In his opening remarks, Farm Bureau President Dean Kleckner listed 
seven Farm Bureau goals--goals which many of us here in the Senate 
share. These include adopting a balanced budget amendment, passing a 
line-item veto, reducing the capital gains tax, increasing the estate 
tax exemption, implementing legislation requiring risk assessment and 
cost-benefit analysis, limiting unfunded mandates, and strengthening 
private property rights.
  Mr. President, I would encourage my colleagues to read the full text 
of Mr. Kleckner's speech and to take to heart some of the points he 
makes. I ask unanimous consent that the text of Mr. Kleckner's speech 
be included in the Record.
  There being no objection, the speech was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

              Annual Address, AFBF President Dean Kleckner

       Good morning fellow Farm Bureau members. Welcome to this 
     76th gathering of the world's largest, greatest, most 
     powerful, most influential farm organization.
       Your American Farm Bureau Federation. Once again, your 
     actions, your deeds, your policies benefitted agriculture, 
     America's most important industry.
       Through Farm Bureau, 4.4 million families speak with a 
     unified voice. United in Farm Bureau, we implement the 
     policies and get the results that we could not accomplish 
     individually.
       As a direct result of your work--our work--U.S. agriculture 
     today is more oriented toward the marketplace. World trade is 
     less subsidized. The sanctity of property rights is more 
     recognized and appreciated. And there is a growing belief 
     that government must lessen its impact on people and their 
     livelihoods.
       We are completing a philosophical cycle.
       Our nation was founded on a belief in the integrity and 
     common sense of the individual. Yet, over the years, this 
     rock-solid philosophy eroded, evolving to the thought of: 
     ``Let government do it.'' Then to: ``Government, do it.'' The 
     cycle moved a few years ago to: ``Should government do it?''
       Now, people of all walks of life, all segments of society 
     are answering: ``Government should not do it. It is my 
     responsibility.''
       President Andrew Jackson once said, ``When a democracy is 
     in trouble, the remedy is more democracy.''
       Our democracy may not have been in trouble, but the way 
     voters voiced their demand for positive change by reducing 
     government's presence was encouraging.
       Farm Bureau has long championed the worth of the 
     individual. We've stood firm on our philosophies, our 
     policies. We've altered our policies when we recognize that 
     change is needed, * * * But our philosophies? Never.
       The basics, the fundamentals, the traditional values that 
     are still rock-solid across the country, Farm Bureau has not 
     wavered. I know sometimes it felt like we were talking to 
     ourselves. The lack of external response sometimes led us to 
     question ourselves, but we never questioned our values. Now 
     it can be seen that others were listening.
       Others harbored the same quiet, solid beliefs--beliefs that 
     never left rural America.
       For decades, Farm Bureau was one of a very few 
     organizations that stood up and spoke out for the ideals we 
     believe in, no matter where our position rated in the latest 
     public opinion poll.
       Great political change occurred last November. But we saw 
     the bell cow in 1992 when the public clamored for change. At 
     this point, it looks like no more country-club or good-old-
     boy politics as usual. Public dissatisfaction--really 
     disgust--with the political system and the politicians won't 
     allow it.
       People want a return to basic American principles--
     individual responsibility, common sense, fairness, faith, 
     firmness not forms, a hand up * * * Not a hand out.
       Where's the sense in spending billions of Superfund dollars 
     to pay lawyers to talk about cleaning up dirt at a 
     contaminated site? Why spend billions on a welfare system 
     that does not foster an incentive to get off the public dole?
       People have told government that a reordering of priorities 
     and spending habits is definitely in order. And that is an 
     order--an order that will be enforced, come next election, if 
     changes--acceptable changes--don't come quickly.
       More regulations, more taxation, more restrictions aren't 
     the answer. We don't need consensus, we need conquerors. When 
     will the deep thinkers, but shallow doers, learn? Free 
     enterprise, coupled with religious compassion, works. 
     Government making rules doesn't make change.
       Princeton University economists did a study that showed 
     environmental quality quickly starts to improve when 
     individuals' income and investment returns top $10,000 a 
     year.
       That's the exact opposite conclusion of some think-tank 
     talkers who believe economic growth does unavoidable harm to 
     the environment.
       In reality, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela and many Pacific Rim 
     countries have surpassed that threshold number and are moving 
     to improve their environments. To see environmental 
     degradation, look to those that were centrally planned--
     Russia, Poland, the Balkan states. Yet, some scholars still 
     think that progress is a dirty word. Progress is good if we 
     make it good.
       Farm Bureau policies depend on the collective wisdom, 
     experience and values of working people throughout this land.
       1994 was quite a year for Farm Bureau. It was a year of 
     accomplishments and yet-to-be-finished accomplishments. I 
     want to tell you of a few, to illustrate the great breadth of 
     your farm organization's interests and activities.
       All of the efforts, all of the work, all of the strategies 
     are aimed at our two over-riding goals. They are the same two 
     that Farm Bureau has aimed for since we started over 75 years 
     ago. We're working to improve net farm income. And we strive 
     to improve the quality of rural living.
       1994 saw the successful completion to two important trade 
     negotiations. Farm Bureau was intensely involved with both. 
     Our Congress passage of the General Agreement on Tariffs and 
     Trade is a major relief for U.S. agriculture. I was never 
     more proud, more aware of Farm Bureau's influence, than I was 
     last month as I was led down to sit in the front of that big 
     room in Washington, D.C., to watch President Clinton sign the 
     GATT legislation into law.
       By signing on to GATT, other countries will have to follow 
     the same trade rules we [[Page S620]] do, opening their 
     markets to our commodities. They must begin to reduce tariffs 
     and subsidies. And they must have a sound, scientific reason 
     to restrict imports for health or sanitation reasons.
       Ever since the talks began in Uruguay in 1986, Farm Bureau 
     monitored the negotiations, often speaking directly to 
     foreign negotiators, political leaders and farmers.
       Farm Bureau has long recognized that one way to improve our 
     income was to increase the markets for our products. 
     America's farmers and ranchers are just too good at what we 
     do. There aren't enough people here in the U.S. to buy all 
     that we can produce. 95 percent of the world's stomachs are 
     outside our borders. New technologies and new products come 
     on stream daily. Clearly, we have to have access to world 
     markets.
       Now, with GATT, that access has improved. Not as much as we 
     would have liked, but enough to offer promise of future 
     improvement. The new international trade regulations are 
     clearly a vote of confidence for the American farmer.
       1994 saw the signing of the North American Free Trade 
     Agreement which provides freer trade faster than GATT. 
     Initial trade reports bear out the estimates made by 
     supporters that sales would increase and that export-related 
     employment would increase. There is a great sound in the 
     land, but it's not the predicted great sucking sound of lost 
     jobs. It's more of a chomping sound as fanatics are forced to 
     eat their words.
       Now, there is talk of expanding NAFTA to include more South 
     American countries, with some people envisioning a Western 
     Hemisphere trade bloc eventually * * * From the Arctic to the 
     Antarctic. Farm Bureau supports continued elimination of 
     trade barriers. We will observe future negotiations as 
     closely as we did the previous ones. They will certainly 
     offer new and different challenges.
    
    
       We will also continue to promote international 
     understanding and goodwill among farmers the world over. 
     Thirteen state Farm Bureau presidents and I visited China in 
     1994. What a market * * * One-and-a-quarter billion people, 
     not all as poor as church mice.
       They have a middle class of 100 million consumers with 
     money to spend. China is already a major customer of ours, 
     purchasing an average 500 million dollars a year of wheat and 
     200 million dollars a year of cotton.
       The U.S. Ambassador to China stressed to us that China's 
     economic progress must be encouraged. They are the only 
     country that has successfully managed a substantial 
     transformation of its economy from centrally planned to one 
     largely responsive to market forces. And they're doing it 
     under conditions of growing prosperity and rapid economic 
     growth. I believe that these economic changes will hasten 
     political and civic changes, as well. It is an exciting era 
     for trade expansion and Farm Bureau is well situated to 
     continue to work for your interests.
       Another major area demanding our time and talents in 1994 
     was the defense of property rights. Significant gains were 
     made. Much more needs to be done. Throughout our years of 
     struggle, we have pointed out that farmers and ranchers are 
     environmentalists. We have continued to advance our 
     conservation and stewardship practices.
       Last year, more than 100 million acres--over one-third of 
     all U.S. cropland, was farmed using residue management or 
     conservation tillage practices. Why? It's environmentally 
     sound. It's economically sensible. Residue decreases soil 
     erosion and water runoff.
       Despite the profusion of unplowed lands, we are using less 
     herbicides. We practice integrated pest management, using 
     natural methods to supplement chemical pesticides. We plant 
     winter crops to replenish the soil naturally and we leave 
     legume or grass strips in the fields and along fence lines to 
     shelter wildlife. We do this even though we end up providing 
     room and board for the animals we attract as they eat our 
     crops. We do this voluntarily, without government threats or 
     public thanks.
       Our conservation compliance plans are complete. It is 
     evident, very evident, that the environment has nothing to 
     fear from farmers. We do care for the land because it cares 
     for us. We don't care for environmental elitists--their 
     rhetoric aimed at fund-raising and membership growth more 
     than reason and rational progress. Let them rant, we'll 
     plant. Let them accuse, we'll conserve and use--responsibly 
     use--our God-given resources to benefit people. We'll 
     continue to stand for conservation and challenge 
     preservation.
       And it appears the weather vane of public opinion is 
     changing. Elitists fear that public support for three issues 
     will gut their movement. One is the weighing of costs of risk 
     prevention against the benefits, in any federal regulations. 
     Another is a severe restriction on unfunded mandates imposed 
     at the federal level on state and country governments, with 
     these costs being passed on to us. And the third fear is 
     compensation to landowners when their property values are 
     lessened.
       Elitists call these three issues the ``Unholy Trinity.'' I 
     call the three common sense for the common good. These issues 
     go to the heart of many of the specific actions we took last 
     year in the environmental area.
       We worked for a law that strengthens trespass restraints 
     against government agents involved with biological surveys. 
     We also supported President Clinton's creation of an office 
     of risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis and an 
     independent national appeals division.
       Farm Bureau and its leaders were instrumental in defeating 
     attempts to hike grazing fees to unrealistic, unprofitable 
     levels. We stalled consideration of a global biodiversity 
     treaty until our specific concerns and complaints were 
     addressed. We defeated an energy tax last year that would 
     have cost farmers an average of 2,500 dollars each. We didn't 
     want to be BTU'd.
       We worked for sensible clean water rules, a common-sense 
     wetlands definition. We sued to keep ethanol an important 
     component of the EPA's clean air pollution reduction program. 
     Despite significant progress in Congress and in public 
     opinion, it was still necessary to go to court to protect 
     farmers' and ranchers' interests.
       One of our most recent and on-going lawsuits involves the 
     federal government's scheme to put wolves into the 
     Yellowstone Park area. The surrounding area is immense--half 
     the state of Montana, 95 percent of Idaho and all of Wyoming 
     would be considered wolf range. Federal efforts to protect 
     the wolf under the Endangered Species Act would amount to a 
     giant federal land-use plan for most of the residents of the 
     three states.
       First off, the wolf the government wants to put in the area 
     isn't even endangered. There are thousands in Alaska and 
     Minnesota and 70,000 of them in Canada. Second, the wolf they 
     want to introduce is the Canadian gray wolf, not the Northern 
     Rocky Mountain wolf that once roamed the area. Third, we 
     object to the plan because the government didn't follow its 
     own rules.
       Fish and Wildlife ignored them. While they were supposed to 
     be talking with area residents about the general idea, 
     federal agents were instead building holding pens in the park 
     to house the wolves.
       Throughout the sham, government workers used questionable 
     biological science to implement their own political 
     decisions.
       There are provisions allowing ranchers to protect 
     livestock. As a New York Times article concluded a few days 
     ago, ``Ranchers will still be able to kill or harass wolves 
     if they threaten livestock.'' That makes everybody feel 
     really good, doesn't it?
       But the official rules are composed in typical 
     governmentese--Beltway babble--by people who don't have the 
     slightest idea of real-world living. You could kill a wolf, 
     but you've got to do it by the book.
       First, you must catch the wolf in the act of killing, 
     wounding or biting livestock. Killing one that you see 
     working over a carcass isn't good enough because you couldn't 
     prove that that wolf killed your animal. So you've got to see 
     the wolf in action, killing.
       There's a second restriction. If you kill a wolf, a fresh 
     domesticated animal carcass must be on hand for the 
     government to inspect. If it takes more than a day for you to 
     ride in, report the taking, get the agent to your place and 
     ride out to the attack site, forget it, you're in trouble.
       Now those rules apply only if you kill a wolf on your own 
     land. For those grazing federal land, it's even more 
     contrived, more ridiculous.
       Just like so many of our wetlands examples, so many of our 
     endangered species examples, the stories are absurd. They're 
     funny--until they happen to you or your neighbors or your 
     fellow Farm Bureau members. Farm Bureau is working for you, 
     right now, to put an end to such tales.
       We've been involved in many more issues and activities. We 
     developed a book to review farm program legislation options. 
     We worked to strengthen the crop insurance program.
       Whether it was in Congress or the courts, Farm Bureau was 
     there representing agriculture's interests. But that is all 
     old news.
       What is Farm Bureau going to do next? What are you doing 
     now? Ladies and gentlemen, Farm Bureau is poised for our 
     greatest accomplishments ever. Farmers and ranchers have 
     never had the opportunities we have now.
       With the convening of the 104th Congress, Farm Bureau is 
     ready to push for the acceptance of many of our most basic, 
     our most fundamental principles. The first 100 days of this 
     new Congress are extremely crucial. We must be prepared to 
     act. We must work to create acceptance of our efforts by the 
     politicians and opinion-makers. Farm Bureau members must push 
     for the legislative implementation of our policies.
       One item we've sought for a long time is a balanced budget 
     amendment. We've had some successes. Many now in Congress 
     said they would push for it. Let's push them.
       Another crucial goal is granting the president a line-item 
     veto. The Republicans supported it when they were in the 
     minority and there were Republican presidents. Now that 
     they're in control of Congress, Farm Bureau must work to make 
     sure they are still so eager for it.
       A third major goal would be a reduced capital gains tax, 
     better yet a total elimination, the same as citizens of many 
     developed countries enjoy. Do you know what Germans are taxed 
     on capital gains? Zero. What about people in Hong Kong? Zero. 
     Italians? Zero. South Koreans? Zero. Taiwanese? Zero.
       Some countries do have a capital gains tax. Japan? Five 
     percent. France? 16 percent. Even our social service-happy 
     neighbors to the north only pay a maximum 17-and-a-half 
     percent capital gains tax. [[Page S621]] 
       We'll work with Congress to cut the tax, cut it big-time. 
     I'm convinced a significant cut will result in more tax 
     revenues to the government through the increased sales of 
     appreciated assets. 10 or 15 percent of something is a lot 
     more than 28 percent of nothing.
       Another of our opportunities is an increased estate tax 
     exemption. The 600,000 dollar exemption currently in the law 
     hasn't been changed for a decade. We must work to obtain an 
     exemption that will allow farm operations to pass from 
     generation to generation with minimal disruption and 
     dislocation.
       A fifth area of opportunity would be obtaining legislation 
     requiring risk assessment and cost/benefit analysis. A sixth 
     is legislation limiting the creation of unfunded mandates.
       And a seventh is granting compensation for victims of 
     takings. That's the key in our private property battle. Make 
     government pay for what they take and they'll take less or, 
     better yet, they'll stop taking. Or, if they take, we get 
     fair market value.
       That's seven goals for us to shoot for, by Easter. And 
     we'll work to get a 100 percent income tax deduction for 
     health insurance premiums paid by the self-employed and 
     adequate funding for new farm programs.
       That will be enough on our plate for now, for these 100 
     days. Challenge and change. Opportunity and good fortune. The 
     future is exciting. We are creating our own breaks. Better 
     prosperity beckons. But there's more, much more.
       Innovations overtake us with dizzying speed. And we accept 
     and adapt them to our advantage. About the only thing old-
     fashioned about farmers today is our adherence to our 
     traditional values.
       I recently came across a paragraph from the Durants' 11-
     volume ``Story of Civilization.'' I'll quote the paragraph, 
     not the 11 volumes. ``Civilization is a stream with banks. 
     The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people 
     killing, stealing, shouting and doing things historians 
     usually record * * * While on the banks, unnoticed, people 
     build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write 
     poetry and even whittle statues. The story of civilization is 
     the story of what happened on the banks. Historians are 
     pessimists because they ignore the banks for the river.''
       Sometimes, we get awfully close to being like those 
     historians. Still, even though agriculture is so enmeshed in 
     executive orders, legislation, regulations and court rulings, 
     we know there's a lot more to life than making a living.
       It's seeing seedlings push through the crust * * * to 
     unfold in a burst * * * Green rows stretching to the horizon. 
     It's seeing a cow nuzzle and nudge her calf, to stand on its 
     own. It's going to Saturday night church service so on Sunday 
     morning we can see dawn break and contemplate God from our 
     deer stand. It's hurrying to finish chores so we can go to 
     another Farm Bureau meeting. It's seeing the kids beam with 
     pride as they see their hog take a fourth-place ribbon, even 
     if there was only a class of four.
       There's more to life than making a living.
       Winston Churchill said we make a living by what we get, but 
     we make a life by what we give. We know life and we call it 
     farming. And it's what Farm Bureau is all about. We work to 
     preserve the ideals we cherish, the life that others only 
     dream about.
       You and I, working together, can keep this nation the 
     country we want, the country we fought for, the country we 
     will always fight for. Our future is bright because of our 
     faith, our families and Farm Bureau.
       As the country prepares for the 21st century, let us keep 
     our principles in place for the 22nd. We face a different 
     world, and you, working through Farm Bureau, can make a 
     difference.
       Thank you for the wonderful opportunity, the gift, of 
     serving you. God bless you. God bless America. God bless Farm 
     Bureau.

                          ____________________