[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 21, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4585-S4586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FARM BILL VETO OVERRIDE

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I wish to spend a few minutes speaking 
about the farm bill. We will be considering an override of the 
President's veto hopefully later on this afternoon.
  As I understand, a few hours ago, the President went ahead and vetoed 
this bill which we worked on so hard in this Chamber for the last 2\1/
2\ years, under the great leadership of Senator Harkin, Senator 
Chambliss, Senator Baucus, and Senator Grassley, along with Senator 
Conrad and so many of my colleagues on the Agriculture Committee as 
well as the Senate Finance Committee. Hopefully, we can override the 
President's veto quickly because what is at stake is the security of 
America in so many different ways.
  From what my colleagues tell me, this is the best farm bill we have 
written in the Congress in the last several decades. For me, there are 
significant portions of this bill which open whole new opportunities 
for America, and I wish to spend a few minutes talking about what I 
think some of those opportunities are.
  First and foremost, we need to remind the Nation this is a bill about 
feeding the hungry. It is a bill about nutrition. Nearly 70 percent of 
the money under this legislation will go to feed the most vulnerable 
people in America, including providing healthy food--fruits and 
vegetables--for the young people of America. For my State alone, what 
this will mean--I come from a small State of some 5 million people--is 
that about $45 million a year in fruits and vegetables will go to help 
our young kids who are in school so they can learn healthy eating 
habits and so they can be in an environment where they can truly learn. 
So nutrition is a very big part of this legislation. It is why hunger 
advocates, the faith community, schools, and so many others have been 
beating the drum so loudly for us to get this bill completed.
  Second is rural development. Rural development is a huge issue for 
much of this country. Today across America there are some 1,700 
counties, and more than half the counties of America are designated as 
rural. About 800 of those counties lost population in the last few 
years. It is part of the America that is withering on the vine. Many of 
the provisions of this farm bill, including rural development sections 
of this farm bill, will help this part of America, which seems to be 
left out, to be put into a position of being second class. This farm 
bill invests heavily in rural America through the rural development 
programs that are included in this legislation.
  Third is conservation. Through the leadership of Senator Harkin and 
his vision for what we do with conservation, the $3 billion-plus that 
is added for conservation in this farm bill will help us make sure the 
conservation ethic we have pursued in this country is something we can 
preserve for a long time to come.
  Fourth, title IX of this farm bill is the energy title. In that title 
of the farm bill, we continue a policy which has been a bipartisan 
policy of this Congress to try to get rid of our dependence on foreign 
oil and to try to harness the power of the wind, the power of 
cellulosic ethanol, the power of hydroelectricity, the power of 
geothermal, and so many other renewable energy resources. Rural America 
stands ready to grasp the reins of responsibility and opportunity to 
help us achieve energy independence in a real way. So the energy 
section of this bill is a very important part of it, and so many people 
have been a part of this and have worked on this legislation.
  Finally, I would say this is work which has involved the 
administration now for 2\1/2\ years. It baffles me that this President 
would turn his back on the people of America by vetoing this

[[Page S4586]]

farm bill, knowing his administration has been helping us craft this 
bill. The excuse I have heard, which has been out there in public, is 
this farm bill raises taxes. This farm bill doesn't raise any taxes at 
all. Unlike the fiscal recklessness we have seen over the last 7 years 
with this administration, what we have done is we have paid for this 
bill. This bill is 100 percent paid for, and it is paid for without a 
tax increase. It is paid for with the reforms we have included in this 
farm bill.
  So I am hopeful when this legislation does get over here to the floor 
for the consideration of the override of the President's veto, we will 
have a near acclamation of a vote against the President's veto of the 
farm bill.
  I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business for approximately 10 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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