[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 187 (Monday, November 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S17513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             THE FARM BILL

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I wanted to visit today about the subject 
of NAFTA, the North American Free-Trade Agreement, and some legislation 
introduced in the Senate on that subject. Before I do that, I would 
like to make a quick point about the so-called farm bill.
  It is my hope that in the week ahead and in the next several weeks, 
as the Congress deals with the reconciliation bill, the leaders of both 
sides and the President will insist that the farm bill be taken out of 
the reconciliation bill. It is, in my judgment, unfair to farmers to 
have thrown the farm bill into the reconciliation bill. It needs to be 
considered on its own, its own merits, with hearings, and in a 
thoughtful way. The decision about what kind of a long-term farm 
program this country has is not a decision that ought to be made on the 
spur of the moment by throwing something into the reconciliation bill.
  I do hope in the next week or so, as we negotiate through a 
reconciliation bill, that all sides will agree that if they have to get 
budget savings from the agricultural side, that is fine, but the farm 
bill ought to be separated out, debated separately, and considered on 
its own merits.

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