[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9473]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             SUPPORT BIPARTISAN TOBACCO BUYOUT LEGISLATION

  (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, for the past several years, I have worked 
with a bipartisan coalition of Members to pass critical tobacco buyout 
legislation on behalf of American tobacco farmers. Unfortunately, the 
House Republican leadership has opposed us at every turn.
  This week, Senator John Kerry announced his support for tobacco 
buyout legislation. His support stands in stark contrast to comments 
made last week by President Bush, who dismissed the crisis facing 
tobacco farm families by saying the current tobacco system does not 
need to be changed.
  Since 1997, tobacco farmers have seen their income cut by over half. 
Thousands of farm families have been forced out of business. The entire 
economic background of rural southeast America has been crippled, yet 
the President says nothing needs to be changed.
  Senator Kerry supports a buyout to revitalize our corner of rural 
America. A buyout would create tens of thousands of jobs in rural 
America, which are desperately needed.
  Time is running out for our tobacco farmers. I call on the Republican 
leadership in the House and the Congress to follow Senator Kerry's 
leadership and pass the bipartisan tobacco buyout and restore hope to 
tobacco country.

                          ____________________