[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 144 (Thursday, October 21, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S13006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 EMERGENCY MONEY FOR AMERICA'S FARMERS

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I would like to say a few words about 
the $69 billion annual U.S. Department of Agriculture appropriations 
bill that happens to contain $8.7 billion in emergency money for 
American farmers.
  This legislation was sent from Capitol Hill to the President's desk 
last Wednesday, October 13. Every day the President delays signing this 
bill is one more day relief money is not in the farmers' pockets at 
this time of the lowest prices in 25 years.
  Naturally, I know the White House is entitled to a few days to review 
the document for signature by the President. But that process does not 
and should not take 8 days that the bill has been sitting on the 
President's desk, particularly considering the emergency economic 
crisis in American agriculture.
  Since September 30, President Clinton has been engaged in a strategy 
to confuse the public and to try to get Congress to accept tax and 
spending increases. The only conclusion I can draw is that the 
President has decided to use the agricultural relief bill for leverage 
in the political game we have seen with the budget this year. If that 
is true--and I hope it is not true, based on some comments made by 
Secretary Glickman; but the fact remains, the President has not signed 
the bill containing emergency relief for farmers--then, of course, it 
is unforgivable on the part of the President, given the terrible 
situation our farmers face.
  Again, prices remain at 25-year lows. The package we moved through 
Congress is critical to helping farmers' cash-flow. President Clinton 
has given speeches about helping farmers. Why isn't he taking, then, 
affirmative action and putting pen to paper to help the farmers who he 
knows have tremendous needs at a time of prices being at 25-year lows?
  Last year, an election year, the President immediately signed the 
supplemental spending bill that contained more than $5 billion, when 
this crisis in agriculture started 12 months ago. The U.S. Department 
of Agriculture had those funds in the mail to farmers within 10 days. 
The President has already lost 7 days in that process. This year, of 
course, is a sharp contrast with getting the bill signed and getting 
the money to the farmers. Every day that President Clinton delays is 
one more day that farmers don't have the assistance Congress passed and 
they desperately need.
  I happen to know that the President understands American agriculture, 
being the Governor of the State of Arkansas for as long as he was. I 
know that one time, in his first couple years in office, he looked me 
in the eye at a meeting at the Blair House and he said, ``I understand 
farming more than any other President of the United States ever has.'' 
I believe that, but he doesn't show an understanding of the crisis in 
agriculture at this particular time, as he has waited now too many days 
to sign this bill.
  I urge the President this very evening to sign this bill so that the 
farmers who are in crisis--which he has even given speeches on, 
recognizing farming is in crisis--can have the help of the $2.7 billion 
provided for in this legislation.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________