[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 71 (Monday, May 20, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3589-S3590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             THE FARM BILL

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, Democrats and the tea party-driven 
Republicans differ on many things, so it is remarkable and encouraging 
to see how well Senator Stabenow and Senator Cochran, the chairman and 
ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, worked as a team to 
bring the ag jobs bill to the floor. Their work has been exemplary, 
some would say old-fashioned--the way things used to be.
  The committee members included many of the amendments that were 
adopted last year when the Senate considered and passed a farm bill. As 
we will remember, it went to the House, and of course they did nothing. 
The committee did this in an effort to expedite the floor process which 
begins today. I hope their cooperative spirit guides our work on this 
important legislation.
  American farmers are counting on us, but so is the economy. Despite 
uncertain economic times, America's farms and ranches are the most 
productive in the world, exporting about $150 billion worth of products 
last year and supporting 16 million private sector jobs. But to keep 
American farms strong, Congress must pass a strong farm bill. The 
legislation before this body will create jobs, cut taxpayer subsidies, 
and reduce the deficit. The bill includes important reforms to farm and 
food stamp programs and saves more than $23 billion, which we will use 
to reduce the deficit. It will give farmers the certainty they need to 
maintain the largest trade surplus in any sector of our economy.
  Helping American farmers thrive is an important part of our work 
getting the economy on firm footing again. Again, I commend Senators 
Stabenow and Cochran for their leadership on this important issue.
  While the Senate has taken a lot of bipartisan action on the 
agriculture jobs bill, it has seen no progress on the important budget. 
Senate Republicans still refuse to allow us to negotiate with our House 
counterparts on a compromise that respects both parties' principles. It 
has now been 58 days since the Senate passed its budget, 58 days 
waiting for the Republicans to say: OK, let's try to work out our 
differences.
  They have been talking for a couple of years now: What is wrong with 
the Senate? We don't follow regular order.
  What does that mean? We don't follow the principles we have always 
followed.
  They say they want to pass a budget so we can get to regular order. I 
guess they thought we could not pass a budget, because we passed one 
and now they refuse to go to conference. I think the main reason they 
are afraid to do that is that under the rules in the House, if

[[Page S3590]]

we go to conference, the House Democrats--who are kept out of 
everything--have the right by rule of the House of Representatives to 
offer what they call motions to instruct, to say don't cut Medicare, 
don't continue to whack little kids who are trying to get an education 
with the Head Start Program, don't cut NIH programs. They can force the 
Republicans to vote on that matter. I think that is what it is all 
about.
  It has been 58 days since the Senate passed its commonsense, 
progrowth budget, but my Republican colleagues have objected time and 
time again to a conference with the House. The only explanation 
Republicans have given for endless obstruction is this: They refuse to 
negotiate unless we agree in advance to let them win. I am not making 
that up. That is true. Republicans refuse to go to conference unless 
Democrats adopt policies that were soundly rejected by the American 
people last November. It is a very bizarre way to negotiate. Meanwhile, 
the country inches closer and closer to yet another crisis--defaulting 
on the Nation's legitimate bills. They put off compromise until the 
last moment so they can use the debt limit as a bargaining chip. They 
hope to exploit concessions such as more tax breaks for the wealthy, 
hurting middle-class families; more concessions in Draconian cuts to 
Medicare, which, of course, hurts the elderly; stark concessions with 
cuts to Head Start, hurting little kids or they hope to extort 
concessions on more cuts to the National Institutes of Health, which 
hurts us all.
  In fact, House Republicans met last week to decide what ransom they 
would demand to avoid a catastrophic default on this Nation's debts. 
One House Republican called it a laundry list of conditions. On the 
list--repealing the landmark health care reform. On the list--
restricting women's health choices. On the list--more Draconian cuts to 
programs that are keeping American families strong.
  Despite the political pain they caused themselves last time they held 
hostage the full faith and credit of the United States, they are again 
headed down that same path. This time they are suggesting that 
government should skip payments to the troops, to veterans, to Medicare 
recipients, and more. Why? So we can pay China first. I am not making 
this up. That is what they want to do. Their plan would hurt our 
national security, our economic security, and it would not prevent 
default. The Republican approach--default on the bills--is 
irresponsible, extreme, and really senseless. By now they should know 
that it is compromise, not political hostage-taking, that will set our 
Nation on the road to fiscal responsibility.

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