[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 133 (Friday, October 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FARM SECURITY ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 4, 2001

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2646) to 
     provide for the continuation of agricultural programs through 
     fiscal year 2011:


  Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the 
amendment offered by my colleague, Mr. Conyers. It is time that we hold 
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) accountable for the 
gaps in service to disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. This amendment 
will set a system in place that will allow the public to routinely 
monitor any failures of the Department to provide equitable service. In 
addition, this amendment makes county level data on USDA program 
participation of disadvantaged producers available to the public. The 
amendment also requires the release of similar data on participation in 
Farm Services Agency (FSA) county committee elections, and requires 
that the process of opening and counting ballots in county committee 
elections be open to the public.
  Mr. Chairman, because of my role as Chair of the Congressional 
Hispanic Caucus, I have been approached by Hispanic farmers across the 
country who are alleging discriminatory practices by the USDA and the 
FSA. The USDA claims that no discrimination has taken place, but the 
stories that I have personally heard from these farmers lead me to a 
very different conclusion. In fact, I am so concerned by what I have 
heard, that I have requested a General Accounting Office (GAO) audit 
with my good friend and colleague, Congressman Joe Baca. This audit, 
which is currently underway, asks, among other things, how much time it 
has taken the USDA and FSA to process loans for Hispanic farmers as 
compared with the non-Hispanic population. According to my 
constituents, the slow turn around time of loans from the USDA makes it 
impossible for them to plant their crops until it is too late. The 
lateness in planting the crops leads to the failure of the yield, and 
ultimately to the default on their loans. In addition, I have heard 
stories of corruption in regard to county committees and the elections 
of committee officers that greatly exacerbate the problem. These issues 
need to be addressed now.
  I know that the Small and Disadvantaged Farmer Access and 
Accountability Amendment is not going to address all of these issues, 
but it is a start. I am hopeful that passage of this amendment will 
lead to a more equitable situation for Hispanic and other minority 
farmers, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the amendment 
offered by Mr. Conyers.




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