[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S3034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             THE FARM BILL

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I am voting for the farm bill. I support 
the freedom-to-farm concept. This is not a perfect farm bill, but I 
find it somewhat ironic that some of my colleagues are voting against 
it, yet, urging the President to sign it, and then going out and 
criticizing it. It would be better to improve it and to be 
constructive.
  Our farmers need a farm bill passed now. Many of them have already 
gone to the fields in our Nation. In South Dakota, they are meeting 
with their bankers, making their plans. It is time for us to pass a 
farm bill.
  Mr. President, for years, we have had all this regulation and 
paperwork in agriculture. I come from a farm. I am a farmer. Last year, 
deficiency payments were sent out to the farmers. Then the commodity 
prices were high enough that the deficiency payments were sent back to 
the Department of Agriculture. All this requires a great deal of 
paperwork, and it costs the taxpayers a lot.
  Let me commend Senator Lugar and the managers of the farm bill, and 
Senator Grassley and others, who have brought us a farm bill that will 
not only save taxpayers money, but will also help our Nation's farmers 
and ranchers.
  Mr. President, let me say that I think the most important farm bill 
besides this is a balanced budget because, if we have a balanced 
budget, we will be able to export our commodities and the commodity 
prices will be high enough. Because of a balanced budget we will have 
low interest rates and a stable dollar and high exports. That is what 
farmers and ranchers really want. They do not seek handouts. They want 
good prices on the world market. And they are there for us if we take 
advantage of it.
  So there are many improvements we could make in this farm bill the 
next year or the year after. But let us pass it now. This is the best 
deal we can get at this time. If somebody had a better one, they should 
have brought it up.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning 
business for 3 minutes for the purpose of introducing a bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lugar). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. PRESSLER. I thank the Chair.
  (The remarks of Mr. Pressler pertaining to the introduction of S. 
1647 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced 
Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I thank the Chair. I thank my colleague 
from Iowa and Indiana and congratulate both of them for their work on 
the farm bill which was very outstanding.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, first, just one sentence to compliment 
the now Presiding Officer, the Senator from Indiana for his leadership 
on getting the farm bill passed. I am going to speak tomorrow on the 
farm bill. This evening, in morning business, I am speaking on the 
subject of the drug problem.

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