[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 124 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996

                                 ______


                               speech of

                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 21, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1976) making 
     appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
     Drug Administration, and related agencies programs for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 1996, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Zimmer-
Schumer amendment.
  I want to thank my friend from New Jersey for offering this common 
sense amendment. It is about time that this Congress sent a clear 
message to the American people--that we are serious about reducing the 
Federal deficit. How can we possibly ask the American taxpayer to 
subsidize advertising for corporate America? Yet that's what we do.
  At a time when we are slashing programs in every agency, it is absurd 
that we would continue this type of corporate welfare.
  It would be different if the Market Promotion Program worked to the 
benefit of the small farmer. The fact is that it doesn't. In 1994, 
Hershey's Chocolate received $265,000. In contrast, Berry 
Confectioners, a small company in New York, received $2,000. Clearly, 
this is indicative of a program that is designed not to help small 
businesses, but rather to provide welfare to wealthy corporations.
  My colleagues, if that example is not enough to convince you that the 
MPP is severely flawed, consider this: Gallo Wines received an 
astounding $2.5 million, while small businesses such as Mountain View 
Vintners received $2,500. Does this strike anyone else as odd? Gallo 
Wines, a company with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars 
at its disposal received 1,000 times the Federal dollars that a small 
vintner did.
  Every year, huge American corporations like Sunsweet, Sunkist, Del 
Monte, and McDonalds take Federal dollars and spend them overseas.
  The GAO has said that the Market Promotion Program is a case study in 
poor management. Even so, the Appropriations Committee has elected to 
expand the MPP budget this year by $25 million. We have before us a 
chance to end the practice of supporting corporations with multimillion 
dollar advertising budgets to market their programs in foreign 
countries.
  Mr. Chairman, if we are so concerned with the ability of small and 
mid-size businesses to market their products overseas, we should pass 
the Zimmer amendment, eliminate the MPP and allow the Agriculture 
Committee to devise a program that actually helps the small farmer 
during consideration of the farm bill.
  Mr. Chairman, the time is now. Support the Zimmer-Schumer amendment. 
End this form of corporate welfare, and let Federal dollars go to 
programs that really need our help.


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