[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 162 (Thursday, October 19, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15361-S15362]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PUBLIC FORUM IN GREENLEAF, WI, WITH SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, DAN 
                                GLICKMAN

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, on July 31 of this year, in an 
extraordinary gathering on a 200-acre dairy farm in Greenleaf, WI, 300 
farmers, rural business people, and others in the agricultural sector 
came together to convey to Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman the 
importance of reforming an archaic agricultural program, known as the 
Federal Milk Marketing Order System. This program, created in the late 
1930's has discriminated against the Wisconsin dairy industry for years
  Those who attended this forum represent different segments of our 
dairy industry which have divergent political views and affiliations, 
but they all 

[[Page S 15362]]
agreed on one fundamental issue--Federal orders must be reformed. For 
an industry that is made up of individuals whose only shared 
characteristic is their independence and staunchly self-reliant nature, 
this type of unanimity is rare. They wanted their message to be heard 
by one of the few people with the power to make Federal milk marketing 
orders both consistent with milk markets of the 1990's as well as 
equitable to all those affected by them.
  The current program for regulating the pricing and sale of milk 
provides higher prices for fluid milk to producers distant from the 
Upper Midwest. While that scheme might have made sense when Wisconsin 
was the primary dairy producing State in the United States, but in 
1995, it defies logic. This system not only creates an artificial 
incentive for greater milk production, but has led to increased 
production of manufactured dairy products driving down prices 
throughout the Nation and increasing Government surpluses. Federal milk 
marketing orders are a perfect example of excessive Government 
regulation creating a system which is completely out of sync with 
current marketing conditions and which discriminates against Wisconsin 
and Upper Midwest dairy producers.
  Mr. President, Secretary Dan Glickman listened for over an hour to 
farmers frustrated not only by the existence of this system, but also 
by its institutional resilience. I commend him for that. It is the 
first time in a long time that Wisconsin dairy farmers have felt that a 
Secretary of Agriculture actually cared about what they had to say. Dan 
Glickman came not to talk to lobbyists, not to talk to politicians and 
not to talk to Government officials, but to listen to those whose 
livelihood depends, in part, on the decisions he makes.
  This was a unique forum in that average farmers spoke directly to the 
Secretary. It linked 54 of Wisconsin's 72 counties to the meeting via 
satellite. While the time did not allow all those who attended to 
speak, those producers who did represented the diversity of my home 
State's agricultural sector--dairy, soybeans, corn, wheat, alfalfa, and 
specialty products such as mink. Each, in turn, talked about what is 
good and what is bad about our current Federal policies. Primarily, 
though, they talked about dairy policy.
  At the outset of our meeting, the Secretary conceded that 
discrimination exists within the Federal order program benefiting some 
regions more than others. In response, he pledged his support to try to 
change the existing number and administration of current milk marketing 
orders. He further pledged his support to try to consolidate those 
orders, make periodic adjustments in price differentials, and to 
potentially create multiple price-setting base points. While I am not 
entirely pleased with the Secretary's choice to attempt these changes 
through the administrative process, I am pleased with his admission 
that the system is broken.
  Mr. President, as the Congress moves toward final action on the 
budget reconciliation and moves toward the 1995 farm bill, I think it 
is important that the Secretary heard the message of Wisconsin farmers. 
I hope that my colleagues will hear that message as well.
  Action on these items, the Secretary conceded, will be a challenge in 
that other regions will fight to maintain their current artificial 
advantages. Despite the deregulatory rhetoric of many in the 104th 
Congress, the Secretary's prediction is proving to be true based on 
recent action by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry.
  The legislation reported by the Agriculture Committee fails to 
address needed reform of this system, despite the tremendous budget 
savings and consumer benefits that could result from such action. That 
is a disappointment, Mr. President. Instead, Mr. President, the 
committee chose to take the easy road by cutting support prices, 
instead of making the difficult choices associated with milk marketing 
order reform.
  And indeed, as the Secretary pointed out at Greenleaf, these are very 
difficult decisions. They are so difficult that the House of 
Representatives, unable to reach agreement on reform, is moving on a 
path toward total deregulation of the dairy industry, including the 
elimination of Federal milk marketing orders.
  Mr. President, total deregulation of the dairy industry, is not my 
first choice. I would rather work with my colleagues to achieve 
reasonable and responsible reform of Federal orders. However, for the 
last 3 years, many dairy farmers in Wisconsin have been telling me that 
if they cannot get reform, if other regions of the country will not 
compromise, deregulation would be a farsight better than the raw deal 
they are getting now.
  Mr. President, I want to work with my colleagues during the budget 
reconciliation process and the farm bill deliberations to reach 
agreement on Federal orders. However, if others are unwilling to move 
toward a level playing field, dairy farmers in their States may end up 
with nothing at all.
  Mr. President, in Greenleaf, WI, the Secretary of Agriculture heard 
loud and clear that Upper Midwest dairy farmers are fed up with the 
current program that regulates milk markets. I urge my deregulation-
minded colleagues to listen to what the Upper Midwest is saying on this 
issue as well. It is time to do the right thing--reform Federal milk 
marketing orders or end them.
  I want to publicly thank the many people who took part of the day to 
travel to this small community to make their voices heard to Secretary 
Glickman. I ask to include the names of the participants at the 
conclusion of my remarks. I hope the seriousness of the situation 
experienced by these farmers and their families will be taken into 
account as these issues are debated in the days and weeks ahead.

  Participants in the Forum With Secretary Glickman at Greenleaf, WI, 
                             July 31, 1995

       Mark Mayer, Frank Dillon, Rodney R. Littlefield, Randy 
     Knapp, Kathi Millard, Stephen I. Rishette, Marc A. Schultz, 
     Tim Rehbein, Tom Kruezer, Mary Behm, Sue Beitlich, Betty 
     Plummer, Kevin Larson, Rod Webb, Randy Anderson, Judy 
     Derricks, Kelly Olson, Julie Dokkestul, Bob Oropp, Dwight 
     Swenson, Nolan Anderson, Lee Gross, Roger Johnson.
       Kevin Connors, Bob Bjorklund, Gordon Rankin, Dave Williams, 
     Tom Syverod, John Markus, Ralph Rounsville, Alvin Erickson, 
     M. Kopecky, Laura Wind-Norton, Dan Butterbrodt, Russ Dufek, 
     Ken Horton, Randy Cochart, Clifford Duffeck, Mahlon Peterson, 
     Bob Bosold, Sandy Webb, William Dacholm, Joel McNair, Paul 
     Rodriguez.
       Dolores Rodriguez, Craig W. VerKuilun, Tom Cochren, Deborah 
     Van Dyk, Linda Leger, Marty Mackers, Shawn W. Pfaff, Arnold 
     Grudey, Duane Tetzloff, Paul Gruber, Tom Badth, Leonard and 
     Betty Wajciehowski, Myron McKinley, Dennis Donohue, Elmer R. 
     Kitzeron, Gerald Van Asten, Orvell A. Debruin, John J. 
     Peters, Connie Seefeldt, Dick Vaitihauer.
       Ken Jenks, James Kalkofin, Jim Harris, Rep. Bill 
     VanderLoop, Robert Fryda, Katy Duwe-Fryda, Ray Diederich, 
     Gerlinda Dueholm, Jeremy Herrscher, Len Maurer, Roger Wyse, 
     Stewart Huber, Dick Hauser, Renea Heinrich, Pete Kappelman, 
     Don Norton, Bill Pamperin, Dave Mennig, Jerry Lehman, Brad 
     Brunner, Grant E. Staszak, Reuel Robertson, Jerome Blaska.
       Gregory Blaska, Norma Norton, John T. Vinhoefer, Allen 
     Schuh, Steve Pamperin, Jerome Pamperin, Nelda J. Harris, 
     Duane Patz, Tes VanDyke, Fred Huger, Dan Krebsbach, Steve 
     Kellerman, Rudy and Margaret Klug, Ron Hillman, Jim Jolly, 
     John Rouch, Kevin Erb, Jim and Lorraine Shellcox, Paul 
     Krause, Greg Hines, Robert Zimban, Michael Mengar.
       Gerald H. Vander Heiden, Gary Anderson, Jon Bechle, Bill 
     Penterman, Tom Davies, Robert Karls, Gary Terlinden, Vicki 
     Wiese, Jim Hunt, James E. Burns, Audrey Sukinger, Tom Walsh, 
     Earl Walsh, Pat Leavenworth, Rama Stoviak, Ron Jones, Dan 
     Natzke, Melvin Blarke, Irv Possin, Mike Rankin, Jay Rudolph, 
     and Harold Epp.

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