[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S888-S889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A COMPROMISE FARM PROGRAM

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, in connection with the issue that is 
before 

[[Page S889]]
the Senate today, I hope Senators will be able to support the petition 
to invoke cloture so we can have a vote on the merits of amendments to 
and the farm bill itself, that will put in place a farm program for 
this and later years. This farm bill that is being presented to the 
Senate, and which we will reach if we are able to invoke cloture today, 
is a compromise that has been developed to resolve the current impasse 
between the Congress and the administration about the content of farm 
legislation.
  As Senators remember, we included in the Balanced Budget Act the 
provisions of farm legislation that would be in effect over the 7-year 
period that was covered by the Balanced Budget Act of 1995. The 
Congress passed that and sent it to the President and he vetoed it.

  Because of that veto, we are now forced to go back and reexamine 
those provisions relating to agriculture and to pull them out and put 
them together in a freestanding bill so we can pass that legislation. 
If we do not, laws that have been on the books since 1938--and 1949, in 
some cases--will govern the agriculture programs that would be in place 
for this crop year. These provisions are so out of date it is 
ludicrous. The price support for wheat farmers would go up to about $7-
something a bushel. In order to qualify, you would have had to have had 
allotments that were based on your planting experience prior to 1950.
  It is unthinkable that this Congress is dragging its feet and making 
it difficult to enact farm legislation that would give producers of 
American agriculture products the certainty of the laws that govern the 
planting and the production of those crops. But that is what is 
happening. It is a disgrace. We need to put a stop to it, and to put a 
stop to it we are going to have to vote for cloture to limit debate of 
this issue so we can get to votes on the merits of amendments and the 
bill itself, and to pass the legislation, send it to the House, meet in 
conference, and get a bill to the President. This has to be done as 
soon as possible.
  Farmers are confronted right now with the inevitability of a planting 
season that is here, whether we legislate it or not. We cannot slow 
down the planting season by simply not enacting farm legislation. 
Lenders are going to have to extend credit based on some idea of what 
the returns will be in this production year for wheat and corn farmers 
and others who are covered by these laws.
  I am hopeful that the Senate will recognize our solemn responsibility 
to be fair with farmers and to undertake our obligation to legislate in 
a serious manner and stop the partisan squabbling back and forth on who 
has the better program, the Democrats or the Republicans. Forget it. 
This bill before the Senate is a bipartisan substitute for the previous 
provisions that were before the Senate last week when the Senate failed 
to invoke cloture, when only 53 Senators voted for cloture.
  Now we have another chance. We need 60 Senators to vote to permit us 
to reach the amendments and then the merits of this bill. I urge 
Senators to look at the fact that we have made some fundamental changes 
to attract a large majority of support here in the Senate. There is a 
reauthorization of food and nutrition programs in this bill. There is a 
reauthorization of the Conservation Reserve Program in this bill. There 
are revisions and a reauthorization of a wetlands reserve program that 
has support from many sectors of this country. And there are other 
provisions--an authorization for a compact of New England States to 
join together to provide for themselves a new dairy program. There are 
other items in this bill that reflect an effort to reach out and 
broaden the base of support for this legislation. I hope Senators will 
vote for cloture so we can get on with the discussion of amendments and 
the vote on final passage.
  If Senators do not like some of these provisions, they can offer 
amendments to them to strike them, and we can have up-or-down votes on 
them. But let us get past this point in the debate and vote for cloture 
on this bill.
  Mr. GREGG addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire is recognized.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 5 
minutes as if in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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