[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H5497-H5498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONGRESS NOT BEING KIND TO SMALL FAMILY FARMERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentlewoman from North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton] is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Madam Speaker, this Congress has not been very kind to 
small family farmers this year as the Agriculture Appropriation bill 
cuts funding by $3.7 billion over last year's bill. That cut is on top 
of a $10.3 billion cut last year, and an additional $5.8 billion less 
than the year before.
  In addition, we will face an amendment later that, if it passes, 
small tobacco farmers could be the sole category of farmers effectively 
barred from obtaining Federal crop insurance, even though the purchase 
of crop insurance is mandatory for all farmers through the passage of 
the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994.
  Later today, we will also face an amendment that targets peanut 
farmers. That amendment will help large corporations with moneys earned 
at the expense of small family farmers.
  But inattention to a situation that has plagued small family farmers 
for more than four decades is one of the biggest acts of omission of 
this Congress. The farmers and ranchers of America, including minority 
and limited resource farmers, through their labor and hard work sustain 
each and every one of us and maintain the lifeblood of our Nation and 
the world. These people do not discriminate; their products are for all 
of us. Therefore, it is important that we do all within our powers to 
ensure that each and every producer is able to farm without the 
additional burden of institutional racism rearing its ugly head.

[[Page H5498]]

  Madam Speaker, it has greatly concerned me that in my home State of 
North Carolina, there has been a 64-percent decline in minority farmers 
just over the last 15 years, from 6,696 farmers in 1978 to 2,498 
farmers in 1992.
  There are several reasons as to why the number of minority and 
limited resource farmers are declining so rapidly, but the one that has 
been documented time and time again is the discriminatory environment 
present in the Department of Agriculture, which was the very agency 
established by the U.S. Government to accommodate and assist the 
special needs of all farmers and ranchers.
  On February 28, 1997, the Civil Rights Action Team [CRAT] report was 
issued, a report entitled ``Civil Rights at the United States 
Department of Agriculture.'' It was done by the Civil Rights 
Implementation Team at USDA under the direction of Secretary Don 
Glickman, which documents the decades of discrimination against 
minorities and women within the Department. Ninety-two recommendations 
for change were made in the report, 13 of which required legislative 
action.
  I have introduced a bill which seeks to implement most of the 
legislative recommendations within the CRAT report. This is a 
beginning, not complete.
  My bill achieves this goal by first, changing the structure of county 
committees; second, changing the status of county employees from non-
Federal to Federal; third, making sure that socially disadvantaged 
farmers can obtain credit and other assistance to maintain their farms 
as other farmers are able to do; and, fourth, making sure USDA has 
sufficient funds to carry out its loans, technical assistance, and 
outreach programs. The bill is H.R. 2185 and is entitled the USDA 
Accountability and Equity Act of 1997. I urge all of my colleagues to 
join in support of this bill.
  Farmers and ranchers are an invaluable resource to all of us. 
American producers, who now represent less than 3 percent of the 
population, provide more than enough food and fiber to meet the needs 
of our Nation and most nations overseas. Twenty-two million Americans 
are employed in the processing, selling, trading of our national foods 
and fiber. Seventy-five million Americans are recipients of USDA 
benefits. Crops are produced, the soil and water are cared for, and the 
most available, highest quality and the least expensive food supply in 
the world is provided through agriculture and related programs.
  The Food Stamp Program, the School Breakfast and Lunch Program, meat 
and poultry inspections and the world's greatest quantity of 
agricultural exports as well as the world's largest donations of 
foreign food aid also result from agriculture programs.
  In rural communities, agriculture programs dispense loans and grants 
for housing, utilities, and economic development. Forest protection and 
preservation is another important product of such programs.
  And so, Madam Speaker, I would ask my colleagues that, as we consider 
the Agriculture appropriations bill, think of small farmers, their 
families, and the communities they serve.
  As debate continues on peanuts and tobacco, bear in mind the burden 
small farmers have carried in recent years in budget matters.
  When we vote on the tobacco amendments and peanut amendment, do not 
be blind to who we are helping and who we are hurting.
  And, finally, I urge each of my colleagues to consider cosponsoring 
H.R. 2185, the USDA Accountability and Equity Act of 1997.
  Small family farmers, particularly socially disadvantaged and 
minority farmers deserve a chance.
  This bill, H.R. 2185 begins to give them that chance.
  Madam Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2185, the 
USDA an accountability act, and remember that all of our farmers, 
minority and disadvantaged farmers, deserve the protection of the U.S. 
Constitution and of this Congress.

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