Richard Lugar

Mr. LUGAR

Mr. LUGAR. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask for the defeat of the Dorgan amendment. Clearly, the idea that farmers will not utilize the land to plant and try to obtain income is not a sound one. The attempt of the Dorgan amendment, once again, is to couple together payments with controls. We are opposed to that with freedom to farm.

Mr. LUGAR. We now proceed to the vote on 3451, the Dorgan amendment, with 30 seconds on each side. Mr. DORGAN addressed the Chair.

Mr. LUGAR. As promptly as we can.

Mr. LUGAR. I have indicated we will have hearings.

Mr. LUGAR. I pledge to the distinguished Senator, after consultation with my distinguished colleague----

Mr. LUGAR. I say, with relation to the current amendment, that no one disputes the need for good nutrition, but the amendment obviously opens the door for food stamp recipients to spend scarce food dollars on items other than food. There is no dispute that it is best to get vitamins and minerals from food. Therefore, I oppose the amendment. I will not speak further.

Mr. LUGAR. I ask unanimous consent that all votes following the first rollcall vote in this sequence be limited to 10 minutes in length.

Mr. LUGAR. I take this moment to ask unanimous consent that immediately following debate on the Hatch amendment regarding vitamins, the Senate proceed to a vote on or in relation to the Dorgan amendment No. 3451, to be followed by a vote on or in relation to the Daschle substitute amendment, to be followed by a vote on or in relation to the Hatch amendment. Further, that Senator Lugar be recognized to offer a final amendment to include an additional manager's amendment; and following the adoption of that, the Senate proceed to vote on the modified Craig- Leahy substitute, to be immediately followed by a vote on passage, as modified. And further, there be 1 minute of debate equally divided in the usual form between each of the stacked votes.

Mr. LUGAR. How much time remains on both sides of the amendment?

Mr. LUGAR. I am advised the distinguished Senator from Utah has an amendment. I hope he will offer it presently. We are coming down close to the time that the distinguished leader mentioned we will commence the rollcall votes. Mr. HATCH addressed the Chair.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LUGAR. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, the amendment I offer on behalf of the distinguished Senator from Idaho would ensure that farmers have not only the freedom to farm, but the freedom to farm wisely. The amendment makes sure that farmers can go to the sources they need, including agribusiness experts, to develop management plans for their farms to meet Federal conservation requirements. My understanding is that this amendment has been agreed to on both sides.

Mr. LUGAR. I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Kempthorne and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I second the advice of the distinguished Democratic leader and hope that those who still have something to say will come promptly. I will try to expedite the process. Amendment No. 3453 to Amendment No. 3184 (Purpose: Require the Department of Agriculture to allow private sector to develop farm management plans)

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I see no other speakers on our side. Therefore, I will summarize the case for freedom to farm which, as a matter of fact, is going to mean much greater flexibility and freedom to farmers and provide really the greatest degree of safety over a 7- year period of time. Senators on the other side of the aisle supporting the distinguished Democratic leader's bill have talked about certainty and stability, about the fact that farmers could go out of business in large numbers in the rice business or in other commodities that have been mentioned. There always is that danger, and this is one reason why the legislation has occurred. I simply say, Mr. President, if the desire is for security, freedom to farm is by far the preferable option simply because it does have a certain payment for 7 years. The Democratic leader's program is based upon current farm policy and lasts for 3 years, and, as I have pointed out, from my own experience even if there is a loan rate there or even if there are target prices and deficiency payments that come when market prices are lower, these are uncertain in volume. They are no more likely to provide stability or certainty that a farmer will stay in business. Mr. President, we are on the threshold, in my judgment, of an unprecedented period in American farm history dictated largely by our success in export markets. In this particular year, the Chinese turn of events, that is, their move to import as opposed to export, has turned around prices, as Senators have pointed out on both sides of the aisle, remarkably high prices for wheat and corn and soybeans. Other factors have led to very high prices for cotton during this market year. Senators have pointed out, given the fact that market prices are well above the target prices, there is a case to be made that there is no Government payment at all under those circumstances. This leads to some question as to where the 40-percent payment would come from, for example, in a year such as this. Would USDA ignore all the market signals, ignore the facts, even if we were looking toward the year we are about to plant, in which a farmer could sell a contract, a futures contract for corn at least 25 cents above the target price? You can do that now. Where is the advance deficiency payment in that situation? Any honest observer of the scene would say there is no deficiency payment. It is 40 percent of zero. Where the new stability and certainty comes for farmers from that calculation, I fail to see. We are so mired in our thoughts about the past that we are unable to take a look at what is presently ahead of us. In fact, the crop year we have just had, the one we are about to have, and about to have after that--to stretch my argument a little farther--you can take a look at the futures market and sell your crop for the year after this one and still get a certain price above the target price for corn. It has been some time since that was possible. But those are the realities now. Where is the advance deficiency payment in years 1 or 2, if you take an honest look really at markets at this point? What we are saying, those of us advocating this legislation today, freedom to farm, is that obviously what goes up can come down. In the 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th year there might be great uncertainty. And if there is, there is a certain payment, and you still keep your eyes on the market. That is the best course for agricultural producers, those commodities that there is demand for, and to decouple this from the necessity to plant a certain thing to produce a history or to produce a payment. So, Mr. President, I oppose the distinguished Democratic leader's idea. He has risen to the challenge of offering an alternative, but it is not a superior one. The freedom-to-farm bill we have before us, in my judgment, is our best bet. I hope it will have a standing success in final passage and, meanwhile, that we defeat the Daschle amendment. Mr. President, I see no further debaters on our side. Therefore, I yield back all time on our side on this amendment. I ask unanimous consent, in the presence of the distinguished Democratic leader, that the amendment be temporarily laid aside, as we have pending negotiations on when votes will come. Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.

Mr. LUGAR. I thank the Chair. How much time remains on our side?

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I yield myself as much time as I may require.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LUGAR. He has been consulted by the majority leader. My understanding is that they are trying to discuss a way of handling these votes.

Mr. LUGAR. I respond that this is being discussed by the leadership. My impression is that there are other significant amendments, the Senator's amendment being one of these. Others are to be offered. The leadership is attempting to determine whether they should be voted upon at the end of the trail today, moving into final passage, or whether there will be a burst of rollcall votes at some point after we gauge how many amendments are still there.

Mr. LUGAR. I ask unanimous consent that the Dorgan amendment be temporarily laid aside.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, we have no other speakers on our side. I yield back that time.