[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 14 (Thursday, February 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S685-S686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             THE FARM BILL

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, without going into the issue of the 
telecommunications bill--which I will not--I just want to emphasize 
what the distinguished majority leader said. As my colleagues know, he, 
I, and some others had an amendment at the desk. We would have voted 
cloture under normal circumstances. Following the first cloture vote 
today, the distinguished majority leader, the distinguished Democratic 
leader, Senator Lugar, and I have met. I want to emphasize one thing. 

[[Page S686]]


  In the 21 years that I have been here, the most successful farm 
legislation has been bipartisan farm legislation. The most successful 
farm legislation has been that where we have worked together. There are 
a lot of issues in this, from the normal crops to issues of nutrition, 
conservation, reserve areas, which are very important to me. I know 
that the only kind of legislation we are ever actually going to see go 
into law is something we all work together on.
  I commend Senator Dole and Senator Daschle and Senator Lugar and 
others for working so hard to bring us together. I think we will 
shortly be in a position to put before the body a piece of legislation 
that we can at least all vote cloture on and then go on in the normal 
course of things on the farm bill.
  But I commend those Senators again on both sides of the aisle who 
have been willing to work together on legislation to protect the 
farmers of our country, to require the production of food and fiber and 
allow family farms to continue, but also to protect the environment of 
this country and to feed the people of this country through the 
nutrition programs. Those programs work best when we come together to 
pass it. I think we are coming very close to that.
  I thank the distinguished majority leader for yielding to me.

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