    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [April 4, 1996]
    [Pages 544-545]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act
    of 1996
    April 4, 1996

        I am today signing into law H.R. 2854, the ``Federal Agriculture
    Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.'' H.R. 2854 would authorize most
    agriculture programs for fiscal years 1996-2002, including commodities,
    credit, conservation, rural development, trade, and nutrition.
        I am signing H.R. 2854 with reservation because I believe the bill
    fails to provide an adequate safety net for family farmers. The fixed
    payments in the bill do not adjust to changes in market conditions,
    which would leave farmers, and the rural communities in which they live,
    vulnerable to reductions in crop prices or yields. I am firmly committed
    to submitting legislation and working with the Congress next year to
    strengthen the farm safety net.
        I am, however, keenly aware that farm legislation is long overdue
    and American farmers need to know now the conditions under which they
    are operating. In addition, the bill includes a considerable number of
    my Administration's proposals. I believe these authorities will enhance
    our environmental and economic development goals. They will form a
    lasting legacy of the 1996 farm bill.
        The hallmark of the bill's commodity title is the planting
    flexibility provisions. At long last, farmers will be free to plant for
    the market, not for government programs. The expansion of planting
    flexibility will improve U.S. competitiveness in world markets. In
    addition, this legislation will reduce the adverse environmental effects
    of production agriculture and greatly simplify farm programs.
        I am very pleased with the rural development title of the bill. The
    Congress has incorporated the Administration's principle that we must
    continue our investment in traditional infrastructure while expanding
    the investment in information infrastructure and in human capital. These
    investments will ensure that all Americans, regardless of how remote an
    area they live in, will have the opportunity to better their lives and
    share in the economic growth spurred by the revolution in information
    technology.
        My Administration is keenly aware that there is no ``one size fits
    all'' Washington solution to local economic development needs. That is
    why we proposed the Rural Performance Partnership Initiative, which
    provides flexibility to States to tailor Federal program funds to their
    unique

    [[Page 545]]

    situation. I salute the Congress for enacting this proposal, as well as
    providing $300 million in additional resources for rural development and
    agricultural research through the ``Fund for Rural America.''
        I also wholeheartedly endorse the bill's conservation provisions.
    The bill will enhance contributions to environmental quality and farm
    income from the Conservation Reserve Program, a program whose importance
    I have repeatedly stressed. This bill provides more than $1 billion over
    7 years for on-farm conservation measures, including assistance for
    livestock producers, which will help prevent soil erosion and clear our
    streams and air. I am also glad to see that farmers will still have the
    choice to enroll permanent easements in the Wetlands Reserve Program.
        In addition, the bill would provide $200 million, with the
    possibility of an additional $150 million, for restoration of the
    Everglades. This project is one of the Administration's top
    environmental priorities, and the funds in this bill are a good
    downpayment toward our goal. Moreover, I call on the Congress to enact
    the Administration's comprehensive Everglades restoration plan,
    including the one-cent per pound marketing assessment on Florida sugar.
    This assessment would ensure that the benefitting industry pays its fair
    share.
        I am also generally pleased with the trade title, which includes
    almost all of the Administration's proposed export program enhancements.
    While the Administration opposed the reduced funding for certain export
    programs in the bill, it will use these, and newly authorized tools, to
    expand upon the record levels of agricultural exports we have achieved.
    This will ensure that America's farmers continue to take advantage of
    the growing opportunities in the world market.
        I am disappointed that the Congress has rolled back an important
    reform of the crop insurance program, which was enacted just 18 months
    ago, to ensure that every farmer has crop insurance where it is
    available. Still, the farm bill embodies a clear commitment to maintain
    crop insurance as an alternative to costly and unreliable ad hoc crop
    disaster programs of the past. In this respect, the Administration
    strongly supports the development of new ``revenue insurance''
    approaches over the coming years so that the crop insurance safety net
    can play an increasingly large role in the farm economy. This is a key
    component of our strategy to continue to help farmers manage the risks
    they face.
        While commodity and conservation programs remain the core of any
    farm bill, much of the future of agriculture and rural America will be
    determined by many other factors outside the traditional scope of those
    programs. This bill recognizes the growing importance of those forces
    and incorporates many of the reforms the Administration sought. While
    seeking improvements in the farm safety net, I will also charge my
    Administration with using the bill's new tools to ensure that
    agriculture sustains the growth it has achieved, that the pace of
    environmental improvements is accelerated, and that we create new
    economic opportunities for farmers and rural citizens.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    April 4, 1996.

    Note: H.R. 2854, approved April 4, was assigned Public Law No. 104-127.