[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 14 (Thursday, February 1, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H1201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE NATION'S BUSINESS HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN CARE OF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Volkmer] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, and what few Members are left, here we go 
again. It is interesting to see how this House has been run. We have 
not done very much. We took all last year, we ended up doing less than 
what they have done all the way back to 1933. We have not really done 
the Nation's businesses.
  We have never appropriated now two, I guess, the D.C. appropriation 
bill has finally been passed but there is still one hanging over in the 
Senate. We had to appropriate the money for the foreign affairs by 
continuing resolution.
  Now we have all run home. I do not know what for. I do not know why 
everybody is going home. I am not. I am staying, and I will be honest. 
If my colleagues want to do something tomorrow, I will be here 
tomorrow. If my colleagues want to do something next Monday, Tuesday, 
Wednesday, anytime next week, I can be here. The following week? I 
could be here.
  We have to run off. And my farmers back home and all over this 
Nation, especially in the South, there is a great deal of uncertainty 
about what kind of program they are going to have or even if they are 
going to have a program. To be honest with my colleagues, the way the 
Committee on Agriculture and the chairman thereof and the Members of 
the majority have decided to go, there is not going to be a program. 
The bill that came out of that committee, if that is the bill that goes 
to the President, is going to be vetoed. It has already been vetoed 
once. It will be vetoed again.
  Now if my colleagues want to wait until March or sometime to find out 
that we really have not done anything, so be it. There is nothing I can 
do about that. I am not in control. I am not in the majority.
  I do not know why the Members voted to adjourn until February 26. We 
could easily do a farm bill next week. Now, in 1977, when we had a farm 
bill, we had it under an open rule and it took about 4 days to do it. 
In 1981, when we did a farm bill, we had an open rule, and it took 
about 3\1/2\ to 4 days to do. In 1985 it took about a week, 5 days to 
do it. In 1990, 3 days to do it again.
  But the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture we presently have 
has requested an almost completely closed rule.

                              {time}  2030

  One amendment in the nature of a substitute, one motion to recommit, 
that is it. Everybody else, shut up. In other words, I, who come from a 
rural district and have a lot of farmers, have some ideas about 
agriculture, but have no opportunity on this floor at all to offer even 
one amendment.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. VOLKMER. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Did the gentleman ask for an amendment to the bill in 
the meeting the other day? I missed it. Did the gentleman offer an 
amendment the other day?
  Mr. VOLKMER. I sure did, to get rid of the three-entity rule. The one 
that permits--it is my time, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Missouri has the time.
  Mr. VOLKMER. I offered an amendment to get rid of the three-entity 
rule, the one that under that bill gives the big cotton farmer down in 
Texas and other places, and some of the rice farmers, $80,000 a year, 
folks, for 7 years. They do not even have to farm. I do not think that 
is right.
  I do not think we need welfare in agriculture. My farmers do not want 
freedom to farm or freedom not to farm. My farmers, even the best, and 
I just talked to one again yesterday, he has been very active in 
Missouri. It does not take a position on this farm bill of yours. I do 
not know of many farmers in my area of northern Missouri that do.
  They do not want to be paid by the Government. They want money from 
the marketplace. That is where they want their money. Yet you want to 
give them money every year; even if they make 1 million bucks, or if 
they make $100,000, you want to give them money. They do not want your 
money under those circumstances.
  They will be willing to take the money if the times are bad and they 
need it and prices are low; then, yes, they would like to have a little 
help to get through. I am willing to give them that help. But I do not 
think it is right to give major corporations in this country, major 
corporations, $80,000 a year, even if they make a half a million on 
their farm operations.
  At the same time, you are cutting back on all other programs, and the 
biggest thing out of this whole farm bill mess, the biggest thing out 
of this mess, what they are doing on the majority side is they are 
cutting $13 billion in the next 7 years out of agriculture, $13 billion 
out of agriculture. Why? So they can give their wealthy friends a big 
tax break. It is all part of the tax-break money.
  It is not necessary. If you looked at the Democratic coalition 
budget, you do not have to make that cut in agriculture. We do not have 
to do that.
  Let us stay here next week and do a farm bill, a good farm bill, and 
not the lousy freedom not to farm. You do not have to farm to get your 
payment, folks.

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