[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 11 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE STATUS OF THE FARM BILL

  Mrs. MURRAY. While the debate continues in Congress over the future 
of farm policy for our Nation, I wanted to outline some of my 
priorities for agriculture in 1996.
  While Congressman Roberts continues to push for his proposal to 
decouple farm payments, I am committed to maintaining a safety net for 
our farmers. Coupling payments to both production and the marketplace 
is a good way to preserve the safety net. Farm payments should occur 
when prices are low so our farmers can sustain their capacity to 
produce. When prices are high, the market can and will sustain our 
farmers.
  Payments should also be tied to production. Farm payments should be 
given to those working the land today, not simply to those who have 
received payments in the past. When Congress authorized the 1990 farm 
bill it was understood that the program was voluntary. That is to say, 
you only needed to be farming in order to be eligible to participate. 
Now the Republican proposal requires participation over the last 5 
years in order to continue participating. The farm programs would not 
longer be open to anyone currently farming, but only to those who had 
participated between 1990 and 1995, regardless of whether or not they 
were still farming.
  I also think we should preserve the permanent authority for farm 
programs embodied in the 1949 agriculture law. In my opinion, repeal of 
the 1949 law sends a clear message that our historic commitment to the 
farmers of our Nation is ending. We must preserve this law as a 
constant reminder of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a stable 
food supply for our Nation. Preserving permanent authority for farm 
programs also recognizes the vital role that agriculture plays, and 
will continue to play, in this Nation's economy.
  I am frustrated that Congress has failed to recognize the vital 
importance of agriculture to our economy. We must maintain our 
commitment to farmers, and farm programs must be tied to production and 
marketplace. I am willing to work with my fellow Members to act quickly 
on a farm bill that provides certainty and security to our farmers, 
both now and in the future.
  In addition, I feel the farm bill should not be broken up so that 
food stamps and conservation programs are not addressed in conjunction 
with the commodity programs. The simultaneous consideration of these 
areas of farm policy represent a balanced approach that recognizes the 
obligations of our Nation not only to our farmers, but also to our poor 
and our environment. While the farm bill is designed to enhance and 
ensure the bountiful production of food from our land, it must also 
address the distribution of that bounty to those of our Nation in need. 
With all the food we produce, we must make sure it gets to the millions 
of hungry mouths in our cities and towns. While we help farmers to 
cultivate their land, we must also encourage them to preserve it when 
and where appropriate. USDA's Conservation Reserve Program is twice the 
size of the USFWS National Wildlife Refuge Program. The contributions 
of this program to the preservation of wetlands, woodlands, and 
wildlife cannot be understated.
  As the debate over the farm bill continues, I am committed to working 
for these principles and to look out for the best interests of the hard 
working families on the farms of my great State of Washington.

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