[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 FARM BILL DOES DISSERVICE TO AMERICANS

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of Congress from the heartland, I 
have supported the farm bill in the past. Regrettably, the 2007 farm 
bill that we will consider this week is a deeply flawed piece of 
legislation. It combines traditional agricultural programs with the 
misplaced priorities of the Democratic Congress. Tax increases, budget 
gimmicks, workplace restrictions, and a public union provision that 
offends States' rights, and I cannot support it.
  This farm bill is a disservice to American farmers and an attack on 
hurting families in the State of Indiana.
  At the behest of one of the Nation's largest public employee unions, 
the Democrat Congress added language to this bill that will prohibit 
States from working with private companies to improve the 
administration of welfare services. Since Indiana is leading the Nation 
in improving welfare services through these partnerships, this bill is 
bad for Indiana, bad for hurting families, and bad for Hoosier 
taxpayers.
  In the interest of federalism, it's imperative that Congress give 
State governments the freedom to innovate in the delivery of food 
stamps and other welfare programs to benefit recipients and improve 
services.
  I will vote against this farm bill because it raises taxes, busts the 
budget, and does a great disservice to our most hurting Americans.

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