[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17828-17829]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     DON'T WRITE OFF RURAL AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 26, 1999

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, rural America is hurting these days and 
the rest of the country should take notice. The current period of 
relative economic prosperity has abandoned most sectors of the 
agriculture economy, often because of deliberate decisions made at the 
White House.
  For example, U.S. trade policy presently favors manufactured 
products, high tech equipment, and medical supplies in exchange for 
easy access to American markets for foreign farmers. Nor are trade 
policies fair for our farmers and ranchers, Mr. Speaker. Foreign 
growers enjoy far easier access to our markets than we do to theirs.
  Westerners tend to be closely tied to agriculture. That's why so many 
of my rural constituents find it hard to believe there are actually 
people in Washington, D.C. who harbor hostility toward them.
  Just last month, Mr. Speaker, after his party voted against several 
rural issues, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

[[Page 17829]]

chairman told reporters Democrats have ``written off the rural areas.'' 
The DCCC Chairman Rep. Patrick Kennedy (R.I.) later admitted he 
shouldn't have said it. I agree, but he did, and in doing so 
illustrated the disdain with which some in Congress view rural America.
  Coloradans understand America must count on rural areas, not dismiss 
them. Statistics confirm the importance of rural settings. Agriculture 
is still America's number one employer providing more jobs, more 
business transactions, more entrepreneurial opportunities, and more 
paychecks than any other sector of the economy.
  In Colorado alone, agriculture accounts for over 86,000 jobs, 
resulting in over $12 billion of commerce. Clearly, Mr. Speaker, 
agriculture is integral to our economy and should not be ignored or 
``written off.''
  Colorado produces an impressive variety of commodities in addition to 
cattle, wheat, corn, potatoes, sugar beets and dairy products. Growers 
also raise pinto beans, peaches, carrots, mushrooms, barley, 
sunflowers, watermelon, oats, sorghum, quinoa and wine grapes. Our 
ranchers' expertise raising cattle, sheep, lambs, poultry and hogs, is 
expanding to include specialty livestock--bison, elk, emus, ostriches, 
and fish.
  Agricultural products extend beyond food. Colorado is well-known for 
its production of fresh-cut flowers, sod and turf grass, and hay. 
Colorado's agricultural-based inputs also contribute vital components 
to the manufacturing of soaps, plastics, bandages, x-ray film, 
linoleum, shoes, crayons, paper, shaving cream, tires, and beer.
  As consumers, rural Americans provide markets for goods and services, 
injecting much-needed capital into the marketplace. Rural purchases of 
trucks, tractors, houses, implements, fuel, computers, and other items 
have an enormous impact on the economy providing jobs and income for 
salespeople, waitresses, homebuilders, real estate agents, feed 
dealers, mechanics, and bank tellers just to name a few.
  Still there are other reasons rural America matters. Colorado boasts 
over 24,000 farms and ranches, accounting for over half of our state's 
66 million acres. People who live on the land are the best 
environmental stewards. Landowners work actively with soil conservation 
districts to protect water resources, manage wind erosion, reduce 
pollution, and control water runoff. In fact, Colorado's farmers are 
credited with saving an additional 51 million tons of topsoil annually 
for the past 10 years. They have also seeded 1.9 million acres of 
private land to permanent grassland under the Conservation Reserve 
Program, thereby producing thriving wildlife habitat.
  Most of all, Mr. Speaker, America's soul is found in its rural 
communities. A nation launched by planters and preachers, America's 
founding strength was mustered and sustained by the moral character of 
rural people. Their values of hard work, honesty, integrity, self-
reliance and faith in God thrive in abundance today.
  It is truly unfortunate anyone finds such attributes offensive. These 
are the very values our country needs if the new Millennium is to be as 
prosperous as the present.
  Clearly, rural America is the bedrock of our Republic. Before more of 
Washington's elite determine otherwise, they would do well to check 
their facts, consider the farmer, and possibly even say a word of 
thanks before supper.

                          ____________________