[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 31 (Thursday, March 19, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2346-S2347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL AGRICULTURE DAY

 Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes to pay 
tribute to one of our Nation's most important industries--agriculture. 
Today, we celebrate National Agriculture Day. It is a time to reflect 
on the value of production agriculture and to say thank you to all 
those who are involved, both directly and indirectly, in producing the 
most abundant and safest food and fiber supply in the world.
  Illinois is one of our country's most important agricultural 
contributors. Illinois farm land, which accounts for about 27 million 
acres, is considered some of the most productive in the world. More 
than 76,000 farm families in the State produce corn, soybeans, wheat, 
beef, pork, dairy products, and specialty crops. Illinois exports more 
than $3.4 billion worth of agricultural products. The State's 
agribusiness activity is vibrant. From the Chicagoland area to Decatur 
and throughout Illinois, agricultural processing employs thousands of 
people. And, our researchers continue to help provide answers to some 
of the most common as well as the most complex agricultural questions 
we face.
  Since last year's National Agriculture Day, we've made some real 
progress for rural America. The Taxpayer Relief Act raised the 
inheritance tax exemption for small businesses to $1.3 million, lowered 
the capital gains tax rate, and began a gradual increase in the 
deductibility of health insurance premiums.
  This year, we face a number of equally important issues, 
specifically, reauthorization of agricultural research, expedited 
health insurance premium deductibility for the self-employed, extension 
of the ethanol tax incentive, and food safety.
  The safety and availability of our Nation's food supply depends 
directly on agricultural research. This year, Congress must reauthorize 
the research title of the farm bill. Reauthorization will establish a 
national policy for important agricultural research into the 21st 
century. In these times of constrained federal budgets, it is vitally 
important to maintain an effective system for agricultural research.
  Agriculture-related research in this country is currently conducted 
at over 100 ARS labs, including Peoria, and at over 70 land grant 
institutions, including the University of Illinois. The University of 
Illinois is involved in biotechnology, aflatoxin, genome, and food 
safety research on their campuses. Southern Illinois University is 
working on groundwater contamination and an important National Corn to 
Ethanol Research Pilot Plant near its Edwardsville campus. These 
projects are simply too important to delay. However, the future of 
agricultural research depends on Congress reauthorizing these vital 
programs sooner rather than later.
  With regard to health care costs, I believe that a 100-percent tax 
deduction for health insurance premiums is one of the most basic issues 
of fairness to farm families across this country. Because of the high 
cost of health insurance, especially insurance purchased in the 
individual market, lack of affordability is a growing problem to 
farmers. Health insurance is particularly important to those involved 
in production agriculture because farming is one of the more dangerous 
occupations. It is essential that farmers have access to quality health 
care and affordable health insurance.
  In last year's Taxpayer Relief Act, Congress made the commitment to 
increase deductibility very gradually from 40 percent in 1997 to 100 
percent in 2007. Although I believe this legislation was a good first 
step, we need to provide this relief faster. I have introduced 
legislation that will expedite the full deductibility of health 
insurance premiums. I also intend to offer an amendment to increase 
deductibility to 60 percent in 1999 and 100 percent thereafter. Relief 
for farm families in this area is needed now. Farmers should not have 
to wait until 2007 for equity with their corporate competitors.
  Mr. President, finding new and expanded uses for agricultural 
products is an important endeavor. Soybean growers and the oilseeds 
industry are proposing a strategy for biodiesel, a diesel fuel derived 
from soybeans. Including biodiesel in existing and future Department of 
Energy programs will help the nation reduce dependence on imported oil, 
while improving the environment, reducing global warming, and creating 
new domestic agricultural product markets. And, of course, ethanol, a 
corn-based renewable fuel, is one of the best alternative use 
opportunities that exists today.
  On a day like today, it is important to point out the benefits of 
ethanol. The industry is responsible for more than 40,000 American 
jobs. Ethanol contributes more than $5.6 billion annually to our 
economy. Five percent of our nation's corn crop goes to ethanol 
production. Corn growers have seen their incomes increased by more than 
$1.2 billion because of ethanol. This year alone, over 1.4 billion 
gallons of ethanol will be produced . Thanks to the reformulated 
gasoline program, toxic air pollutants like benzene and carbon monoxide 
have fallen substantially. And, ethanol contributes over $2 billion 
annually to the U.S. trade balance.
  Last week, the Senate overwhelmingly defeated a proposal that would 
have removed the ethanol excise tax exemption from the Intermodal 
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). That vote was the 
strongest in Senate history in support of ethanol. It is my hope that 
an extension of the ethanol tax incentive will be included in the final 
conference report on ISTEA. Time is running out. Farmers, the ethanol 
industry, and rural America deserve to have this important program 
extended.
  An issue that also needs immediate attention is food safety. Make no 
mistake, our country has been blessed with the safest food supply in 
the world. However, we can do better. The General Accounting Office 
estimates that as many as 33 million people will suffer food poisoning 
this year and more than 9,000 will die. The Department of Health and 
Human Services predicts that foodborne illnesses and deaths are likely 
to increase 10 to 15 percent over the next decade.
  I have introduced the Safe Food Act, S. 1465, which would empower a 
single, independent agency to enforce food safety regulations from farm 
to table. It would provide an easier framework for implementing U.S. 
standards in an international context. Research could be better 
coordinated within a single agency rather than among multiple programs. 
And, new technologies to improve food safety could be approved

[[Page S2347]]

more rapidly with one food safety agency.
  At a time of government downsizing and reorganization, the U.S. 
simply can't afford to continue operating multiple systems. In order to 
achieve a successful, effective food safety and inspection system, a 
single agency with uniform standards is needed.
  Mr. President, National Agriculture Day affords us all the 
opportunity to say thank you to those who farm, process agricultural 
products, conduct the research and plan for the future, and keep 
American agriculture the best in the world.

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