[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 24, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H8298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             THE FARM BILL

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, the farm bill in its current form is a 
missed opportunity to strengthen family farms while reforming American 
agriculture. The bill coming out of committee is absolutely the least 
that can be done.
  Long overdue support for specialty crops is welcome, but a relative 
drop in the bucket in terms of overall agricultural spending. 
Conservation is honored more in word than deed, and the massive 
payments to the wealthiest few farmers are virtually unrestricted. The 
new adjusted gross income limit of $900,000 is almost meaningless, the 
proof being that it only saves a few million dollars. There is no 
meaningful limit on rice and cotton farmers, and it sweetens the 
outrageous deal for Big Sugar. It is sad that it continues to 
shortchange the family farm, forcing them to compete with heavily 
subsidized large operators who will continue to buy them out, making it 
harder for most farmers to make a living.
  Luckily for people who eat and people who farm, there still is a 
chance for reform. And I urge my colleagues to carefully examine the 
bipartisan amendment from Congressmen Kind, Flake, and Ryan.

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