FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 1997
Contact: Dave Redmond
(202) 225-4050
WASHINGTON, D.C. - OREGON CONGRESSMAN BOB SMITH, CHAIRMAN
OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, AND TEXAS CONGRESSMAN CHARLES
W. STENHOLM, THE COMMITTEE'S RANKING DEMOCRAT, HAVE LED SOME 100
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN URGING BUDGET COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JOHN R.
KASICH (R-OH) TO TAKE AGRICULTURE'S HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO
BUDGET SAVINGS AND LAST YEAR'S DRAMATIC CHANGES TO FARM PROGRAMS
INTO ACCOUNT AS BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS BEGIN IN EARNEST.
Chairman Smith and Rep. Stenholm wrote Chairman Kasich urging
the Budget Committee to treat agriculture -- and commitments made
to America's farmers in last year's sweeping agricultural reform
-- fairly in the budget resolution for fiscal year 1998. In addition,
the Members forwarded to Kasich a letter to Smith from 108 agriculture
groups from across the United States that emphasized agriculture's
$60 billion in cuts and 79% reduction in farm program spending
over the last 12 years.
"The contribution of the agriculture sector to budget savings
over the past 12 years, in percentage terms, far exceeds any other
major budget function. In fact, no other area of the budget has
so consistently made such major contributions to budget control
during this period," the Members wrote Kasich.
"Last year, Congress passed and the President signed the
most sweeping reform in the 60-year history of farm programs.
Of greatest importance to your committee, the 1996 Farm Bill guaranteed
fixed payments for most program commodities and ended support
programs for others, eliminating the cost projection that had
been typical in the previous decade. This extensive change in
farm programs has just begun, and it would be most disruptive
and confusing to introduce further changes at this critical stage,"
the Members wrote.
"We respectfully request that as you begin your deliberations
on the budget, that you take into consideration agriculture's
past contribution and the need for time to allow the new reform
program to work. As a matter of fairness and policy, any budget
must reflect these concerns," the Members concluded in their
letter to Kasich.
Both letters - the agriculture groups' letter to Chairman Smith
and the Members of Congress' letter to Kasich - are available
by calling David Spooner at (202) 225-3329.
Smith represents Oregon's Second Congressional District, which
includes most of eastern, central, and southern Oregon, in the
U.S. House of Representatives. Stenholm represents Texas' Seventeenth
Congressional District, a sprawling agricultural district in west
central Texas.