Pat Roberts

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, which, I assure Members, I will not do.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I call up the substitute amendment No. 3224.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise today as the Senate considers legislation on an issue that is critically important to our Nation--the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, the farm bill. The goal, the responsibility, the absolute requirement is to provide farmers, ranchers, and growers--everyone within America's valued food chain--certainty and predictability during these very, very difficult times. We are, indeed, in a rough patch with regard to agriculture. Many of my colleagues have introduced legislation over the last year that addresses priorities and stakeholders in their States. The bill that passed the Agriculture Committee with a strong 20-to-1 vote earlier this month addresses many of those concerns. In fact, the Ag Committee-passed product includes portions of 65 stand-alone bills, and an additional 73 amendments were adopted in the committee. We have also included 18 amendments in today's substitute amendment. Needless to say, we have worked to include as many priorities from Members both on and off the Ag Committee, and we want to continue to work with Members to address their concerns. That is why we are here. We are endeavoring to craft a farm bill that meets the needs of producers across all regions and all crops. All of agriculture is struggling, not just one or two commodities. We must have a bill that works across all of our great Nation. That means, with bipartisan support, we must do our job. We must pass a bill that provides our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities the much needed certainty and predictability they deserve. I appreciate the bipartisan support that we have had to date of those on the Ag Committee who voted to report a bill in such a strong manner--and other Members of the Senate--and I look forward to working with my colleagues on continuing to move this process forward. I will not say that it is an emergency, but we have to move this bill to provide farmers certainty and predictability during the very tough times they face. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I wish to list the amendments that are included in the substitute that my distinguished colleague Senator Stabenow and I and our diligent staff have been working on. They are as follows: Senator Jones, No. 3081; Senator Smith, No. 3082; Senator Kennedy, No. 3097; Senator Murkowski, No. 3110; Senator Hatch, No. 3125; Senator Merkley, No. 3147; Senator Tester, No. 3148; Senator Gillibrand, No. 3154; Senator Gardner, No. 3157; Senator Moran, No. 3159; Senator Collins, No. 3160; Senator Peters, No. 3164; Senator Shaheen, No. 3172; Senator Feinstein, No. 3177; Senator Cornyn, No. 3186; Senator Cantwell and Senator Crapo, No. 3209; and Senator Gardner, again, No. 3218; and Senator Grassley. I wish to note that this represents 18 amendments put in the substitute--extremely bipartisan. I have read ``Republican,'' ``Democrat,'' ``Democrat,'' ``Republican'' all through these 18 amendments. We have proceeded that way in committee. We are proceeding this way on the floor. I urge Members to bring their amendments to the floor for consideration, and, hopefully, the amendments will be of a nature that we can consider them without controversy. I know people have strong concerns about whatever amendment they submit. Again, the ultimate goal is to do this quickly and to provide farmers certainty and predictability during this difficult time they are going through. I hope Members will keep that in mind with regard to any amendment they may be considering. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to call up the following amendments to the substitute amendment No. 3224: the amendment by Senator Lee, No. 3074, and the amendment by Senator Durbin, No. 3103.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I would only add at this point--and I think Members who have paid attention to this debate at all or to this particular issue are probably a little tired of hearing this, but maybe there are some who haven't really grasped the issue. We have to get a farm bill. We are the Agriculture Committee. Agriculture is in dire need of this farm bill--the farmers, the ranchers, the growers, their lenders, and everybody up the food chain. Our situation being what it is, I certainly hope that improves. Many people, of course, are interested in opening up any bill to amendments, having regular order, and voting on their amendments. I understand that. I think there are about 146 amendments we have agreed to. We are reaching out to people and urging them to come forward and, on a bipartisan basis, agree on these amendments or modify them and then agree to them. So it isn't as if we have not done that. At some point, we have to pass this bill. The issue is so paramount and the situation is so dire--on behalf of the folks who produce the food and fiber for this country in a troubled and hungry world to at least go on for another year--that it is paramount over any other issue, despite the fact that some people want to come in under a reform they believe would be very salutary, and I understand that. Again, we have to pass this bill. With that observation, I hope people can understand and we can get some agreement with regard to some of these issues. None of my remarks are intended to impugn in any way the interest of the distinguished Senator from Florida. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROBERTS. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise in support of my colleague's amendment. As Senator Thune indicated, this amendment proposes to make changes to the Conservation Reserve Program. Goodness knows that we have been working on that for several years. As a matter of fact, I can even remember back in the House when I was the original sponsor of the Conservation Reserve Program and when Senator Thune was Congressman Thune and continued that effort. We provide additional flexibilities for the management of routine haying and grazing, which the Senator has pointed out. The amendment provides greater clarity for when and how often producers can conduct the active management of their CRP land. I strongly support that, as do all of the members of the committee. These flexibilities not only provide a benefit to the producer but a more active management of CRP also has a mutual benefit to the wildlife that relies upon the habitat created by CRP. What the distinguished Senator has pointed out is exactly right in that during the Ag Committee markup, both Senator Stabenow and I committed to working with him on this priority. I am pleased the amendment reflects that bipartisan agreement that has the support of the grower and wildlife organizations. I thank my colleague for working with Senator Stabenow and me on this amendment. I support it and urge my colleagues to do so as well. Thanks, dude.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I rise as the Senate considers legislation on an issue that is critically important to our Nation--the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018--the farm bill. The goal, the responsibility, the absolute requirement is to provide our farmers, ranchers, and growers, and everyone within America's agriculture and food value chain certainty and predictability, especially during these very difficult times. This is paramount, absolutely paramount to any other issues and concerns. It is not an exaggeration to say our Nation's food and fiber capability, with regard to production, hangs in the balance with what we do on this legislation. Simply put, let's get this done. Many of my colleagues have introduced legislation over the last year that addresses priorities and stakeholders in their States. The bill that passed the Agriculture Committee, with the help and partnership of my distinguished ranking member Senator Stabenow, passed with a strong bipartisan vote of 20 to 1 earlier this month. That bill addresses many of these concerns. In fact, the Ag Committee's bill includes this bill we are considering today, portions of 65 stand-alone bills, and an additional 73 amendments were adopted in the committee. That is called working together. That is called regular order. Needless to say, we have work to include as many priorities from Members both on and off the Ag Committee, and we want to continue working with Members to address their concerns. Prepare your amendments and come work with Senator Stabenow and me. We are endeavoring to craft a farm bill that meets the needs of producers across all regions, all crops. All of agriculture today is struggling, not just one or two commodities. We are indeed going through a very difficult time; what we call in farm country, a rough patch. We must have a bill that works all across our great Nation. We must ensure that our voluntary conservation programs are keeping farmland in operation while protecting our agriculture lands and forests and other natural resources. Let us not forget that in a few short decades, the global population will top 9 billion people--some are saying even 10 billion. Agriculture production will need to double in the near future to meet that demand. Accomplishing this task requires efficiency, not just on the farm and ranch but also in our government. We must focus on program integrity--we have done that--and commonsense investments to strengthen our nutrition programs to ensure the long-term health and success of those in need of assistance. We have done that in this bill with efficiencies, reform, and a priority with regard to program integrity. With trade and market uncertainty, to say the least, we must provide certainty for our trade promotion and research programs. Today we are losing our markets. Kansas wheat is not going to Mexico. Mexico is buying its wheat from Argentina. It is the same for corn. Our corn is not going down to Mexico. Mexico is buying their corn from Brazil. I think it could be said that when a tariff is imposed to try to improve trade deficits, you also run the risk--and we have already seen it happen--of retaliation, and retaliation comes back directly on our producers and agriculture. That is why we have to have this bill passed. Feeding an increasing global population is not just an agricultural challenge, it is a national security challenge. Show me a country that cannot feed itself, and I will show you a nation in chaos. This means we need to grow more and raise more with fewer resources. That is going to take investments in research, new technology, lines of credit, and proper risk management. It takes the government providing tools and then getting out of the producers' way. In this bill, we have made and must make tough choices and be judicious with the scarce resources we have. Through an open and deliberate hearing process over the last 18 months, Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee have asked tough questions, reexamined programs to determine their effectiveness, and tried to ensure programs accomplish their fundamental purposes. Agriculture, and specifically the farm bill, has consistently answered the call to do more with less. To those who say passing a farm bill in this environment is a daunting task--and, yes, it is--I say, together we can get this done. I think about the folks back home right now. I would like to point out that the wheat harvest is still growing across Kansas, starting in Nebraska, and headed for South Dakota and North Dakota. These farmers in the midst of harvest are facing Mother Nature. The unknown of a thunderstorm or hailstorm can hit just as they try to harvest their grain. In Kansas, we have a drought, but we are still hopeful we can harvest a reasonable crop. We must adopt the attitude of our producers--optimism and ingenuity. A farmer doesn't plant a seed in the ground without the faith and optimism of harvesting a good crop. That is what we should do. That means, with bipartisan support, we must do our job. We must pass a bill that provides those same men and women the much needed certainty and predictability they deserve. Again, that is the paramount issue. I know many Members have concerns. Many Members have amendments that want to address a specific problem. They feel very strongly about it, and we are here to help. We are here to help them to address such issues in this bill, but we also have to understand the tough challenges we face. Farmers, ranchers, and growers are in a very difficult time. We must respond to that. We are the Agriculture Committee. We must accept that challenge. We must be champions for these people, and we need a bill. That is the No. 1 issue--certainty and predictability during a very difficult time for our farmers, our ranchers, and our growers. Now, this is not the best possible bill, but it is the best bill possible under these circumstances. So I look forward to working with my colleagues on continuing to move this process forward. To my partner in this process, Senator Stabenow, thank you so much for your help and cooperation and working together. I look forward to working with you toward that goal in the days ahead. Let's get this bill done. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, just a comment, and I state to the Presiding Officer that I thank the Senator from Texas for his general support for the farm bill. The issues Senator Cornyn has mentioned are very important. In the nutrition title, we have addressed deficiencies that he has mentioned. We have 10 States now that have private projects for job training to figure out what really works best. The law currently allows States to have job training and a worker program. Kansas has that law. I am sure Texas probably has the law. I think we have achieved about as much as we can to at least determine where we are going. The House bill, with all due respect, has $8 billion in cuts, and then there are questions as to how that is implemented and what agency does that. Agriculture, I don't think, is prepared to really launch into a full program of job training. The one issue the Senator from Texas specifically mentioned that caused me to come down here and interrupt his great speech is, we do have that private part to supplement the Federal situation in the Food Stamp Program. I don't know if we have hit all three areas of concern he has mentioned, but we are pretty darn close. I appreciate the Senator's interest. We are just trying to get a program that has better integrity, that works better, and is more efficient. By the way, we deal with that bonus program, where some States-- actually, only eight States--were not guilty of this, but a lot of States gamed the system, and we have taken care of that. We have taken a hard look at the nutrition program, but we don't declare the farm program to be a welfare program or try to put it into that kind of a description. So, basically, I am just saying with the three things the Senator just mentioned, we tried to address all three. Now, perhaps, not to the degree that the distinguished Senator would like, but that is still up for consideration, and I appreciate his comments.

Mr. ROBERTS. I thank the Senator for yielding. We are looking at those provisions, and we are looking at making sure able-bodied people do achieve the goal of going from dependence to independence, more especially in this time of economic recovery, which is really the secret to all of this. The numbers in the Food Stamp Program have decreased dramatically as we have seen our economy improve, but we are taking a look at those waivers. The difference is, in the House bill, we have a situation where if somebody has children 6 and under, it used to be 10 and under, and then on the other side, people who were 50 to now 60 are included--that has raised some dust. There are several other issues the Senator has mentioned. It is just a matter of degree. We want to provide integrity to that program. We want it to work and have it go to the people who truly need it, and we have tried very hard to accomplish that. We will study hard the good recommendations the Senator has mentioned, and we will do our best.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. ROBERTS. For the information of our colleagues, the Senate will proceed to the bill tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., and the amendment process will begin. After Senator Stabenow and I offer the bipartisan substitute, the first amendment offered on this side will be the Thune amendment on the Conservation Reserve Program. There will be no further rollcall votes tonight. I yield to my distinguished colleague, the ranking member of the committee, Senator Stabenow.

Mrs. ROBERTS

Mrs. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I have 11 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Lieutenant General Stephen R. Lyons, USA, to be general and Commander, United States Transportation Command, Department of Defense. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Legislative proposals to increase access to capital.'' Committee on Energy and Natural Resources The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Teri L. Donaldson, of Texas, to be Inspector General, Christopher Fall, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office of Science, Karen S. Evans, of West Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary (Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response), and Daniel Simmons, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), all of the Department of Energy. Committee on Finance The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Prescription Drug Affordability and Innovation: Addressing Challenges in Today's Market.'' Committee on Foreign Relations The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 11:15 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing on pending legislation and the following nominations: of Scott Stump, of Colorado, to be Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of Education, John Lowry III, of Illinois, to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training, and other pending nominations. Committee on the Judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Survivors' Bill of Rights: Implementation and Next Steps.'' Select Committee on Intelligence The Select Committee on Intelligence of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 9 a.m., to conduct a closed hearing with His Majesty King Abdullah II. Select Committee on Intelligence The Select Committee on Intelligence of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed hearing. Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation The Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation of the Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 9:45 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``U.S. Policy in Europe.'' Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism The Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism of the Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Protecting our Elections: Examining Shell Companies and Virtual Currencies as Avenues for Foreign Interference.''

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I would like to make a very short comment with regard to the distinguished minority leader's remarks this morning. In the midst of his remarks, Mr. Schumer mentioned something that I think is terribly important. Yesterday, the Rules Committee--and the distinguished Senator used to be the chairman of the Rules Committee. I think I was ranking member at that particular time. He spoke of an agreement to move appropriations bills. I want to thank him for that, and also Senator Durbin, who indicated that as of yesterday. We did reach an agreement in a bipartisan way to do something about filing cloture 86 times and other things going on and reducing that time period. We will get to that. The breakthrough could be an agreement that Mr. Schumer has agreed to with regard to appropriations bills. If we can do that, we might be able to get back to the regular order that both of us experienced when we first came to the Senate. Many Members here have not experienced that.

Mr. ROBERTS. Yes. Consequently, I want to thank you for that. And I know Senator Shelby is eager to do the 12 appropriations bills, and I know Senator Durbin is as well. I think that one statement in the midst of your comments, sir, is terribly important, and I want people to be aware of it, and I thank you.

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, it was an honor for me to speak in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this month in support of my Kansas friend and colleague, Mike Pompeo, as the President's nominee for Secretary of State. I come to the floor to urge all of my colleagues, despite the previous remarks, to vote in favor of this uniquely qualified nominee in such a vital role in our administration's Cabinet. The point I would like to make, as we go into the very important topics we have to discuss on an international basis, is that we need Mike Pompeo, and we need him now. As our Nation's most senior diplomat, Mike, I know, will be forthright, will be forceful and thoughtful and, yes, he will be diplomatic. He will give the President and the Congress very candid counsel. He is a man of his word. Now, I say all of this because I think I, at least, have the credentials to know Mike and to know who he is and what he is about because I have known him for more than a decade, first as a friend and a business leader, then as a congressional colleague, and most recently as a leader of our intelligence community. We had some long talks before he accepted that offer by the President, and I thought he was very well suited. Mike will represent American ideals and values backed by the strength of leadership of the free world--yes, the free world and the allies that have been referred to by my colleagues across the aisle. The point is, whenever there is a void, the world pays a price. That is why we need Mike, and that is why we need him now. I am going to again urge all of my colleagues--all of those who voted in support of his intelligence post last year and those who now have the opportunity to support this extremely qualified candidate--to vote yes and to send our senior diplomat to work on the many challenges that face our Nation.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I want to associate myself with the remarks of the distinguished chairman of the Finance Committee, a committee I feel very privileged to serve on with our distinguished chairman. He has a message that I think should be required reading for everybody on this side, and more especially on the other side, and I really appreciate his remarks and his leadership.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I want to speak today on the confirmation of Mr. Gregg Doud, the President's nominee for the Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. In the Senate, we often say, or I hope we often say, that we are only as good as our staff. I have been blessed with the very best. Gregg is one example of why that is true. Gregg served as senior professional staff on the Senate Agriculture Committee for me during my time as ranking member, 2011 through 2013. We like to say in Kansas that congressional staff are bucket toters. During those few years, we toted a lot of buckets together. From the early days of the supercommittee and sequestration, multiple iterations of farm bills, animal disease scares, and the oversight of the MF Global mess, or situation, Gregg handled everything that was thrown at him--and all while wearing his cowboy boots with the pointed toes. Capitol Hill certainly isn't where Gregg started cutting his teeth in agriculture. He hails from Mankato, KS, where he was raised on a dryland wheat, grain sorghum, soybean, swine, and cow-calf operation. Talk about diversified agriculture. He attended my alma mater, Kansas State University, home of the ever-fighting and always optimistic Wildcats. Good luck to them tonight. Just last September, Gregg was back in Manhattan, KS, where he was honored as the 2017 Kansas State University Department of Agriculture Economics Distinguished Alumni Award. From K-State, Gregg went on to work for the U.S. Wheat Associates, which is tasked with developing markets for U.S. wheat all around the world. Eventually, he became the chief economist for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. One of the very first trials that Gregg faced at NCBA was ``the cow that stole Christmas,'' when just before Christmas, in 2003, a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the United States, resulting in a devastating blow to U.S. beef exports. Gregg worked on behalf of the beef industry with the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the State Department to rebuild the reputation and reliability of U.S. beef exports. Kansas currently ranks as the third highest U.S. State exporter of beef to the global market. U.S. trade policy has been a very hot topic in the last year, and it is one that Gregg certainly experienced and is well-versed. He served as a ``cleared advisor'' and later chairman of the USDA/USTR Animal and Animal Products Agriculture Trade Advisory Committee. It is a lot of words but a very important committee. It was during the negotiations of a variety of trade agreements, including Australia, Bahrain, Colombia, CAFTA, South Korea, Morocco, Panama, and Peru. Obviously, he has been everywhere. Gregg's background and experience give him a leg up in the challenge of serving as the Chief Agriculture Negotiator at USTR. He understands what trade means to the agriculture industry, and he has the experience to help maintain U.S. agriculture's role as a reliable supplier around the world. It is certainly a big challenge today. At a time when the agriculture economy is in a rough patch--fourth year of prices below the cost of production pretty much across the board, all across the country--and commodity prices still falling, farmers and ranchers now depend on trade more than ever. We need continued focus on exporting not just what we make but also what we grow. Let me repeat that. We need to export not just what we make-- there is a lot of focus on that with regard to trade policy now coming out of the White House and this administration--but also what we grow. Kansas farmers and ranchers work hard. On a regular basis, they have to make sacrifices to overcome the weather, overcome obstacles, and make commonsense decisions that have significant consequences. That is why I know Gregg will be successful in the job of Chief Agricultural Negotiator. He is a Kansas cowboy who knows how to roll up his sleeves and certainly get things done. Gregg understands why strong trading relationships are absolutely critical to agriculture. I am glad he is at the USTR, where he can get to work with Ambassador Bob Lighthizer and lead the charge in advancing the U.S. trade agenda. Along with partners at the Department of Agriculture--like our champion there, Secretary Sonny Perdue--and the Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs, Ted McKinney, Gregg will ensure that agriculture has a seat at the table and that our farmers and ranchers are being heard. The U.S. agriculture industry has worked long and hard to increase our competitiveness and markets around the world, but their work is never finished, and they cannot do it alone. I know that with Gregg riding point, the voices of the hard-working farmer and rancher will be well represented all around the world. Congratulations to you, Gregg, on your confirmation as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the USTR. I look forward to continuing to work with you on behalf of U.S. ag. One more admonition, one more piece of advice. When you are riding point, just make sure you look over your shoulder once in a while to see if the herd is still there, and if it isn't, don't worry about it, we have your back. I yield my time. After careful inspection, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I have had the unique privilege of knowing Senator Strange in that I have the privilege of being the chairman of the all-powerful--sometimes-powerful--Senate Agriculture Committee. I hope every Senator will read your comments, sir. I think, perhaps, every Senator in their heart wishes, as you do, that we could get along better. For better or for worse, I think we represent the Balkanization in this country, but we come here with the hope that, yes, through compromise, and, yes, that in working together, we can represent our people in a much better fashion. Your remarks, I think, really hit the nail on the head in terms of what we should be doing. We do that on the Agriculture Committee. When Luther first came to the Senate and asked to be on the Agriculture Committee, I knew right then he was a special person and would be a special Senator. A lot of people get sentenced to the Agriculture Committee. It is a pleasant sentence, really, when you do that work. I have been privileged to be the chairman in the House and in the Senate for quite a few years. We will not get into that. The Senator asked to be on the Ag Committee, and so, when we try to put together a farm bill, it is our responsibility--both the distinguished Ranking Member Stabenow and myself--to travel to various States. We have sat on the wagon with the farmer, the rancher, the grower, and said: What do you think? We listen to the farmer first, knowing that if you are fair to the farmer--they are the backbone of the Nation and underappreciated in our society today. So I have been going to Kansas, Michigan, and Montana, and I said: I haven't been down South, I am going to Alabama. I am going to go down there with our newest Member who wants to be on the Ag Committee and has already demonstrated his affection, not only for the committee but his commitment to represent farmers and growers and ranchers in Alabama. So we planned an event. We were going to listen to every commodity group, every farm organization, and any farmer who wanted to come in and talk to the chairman and the new member of the Ag Committee. This was a special day for me and, as sometimes happens, planes don't fly. Planes fly to Atlanta, but they don't fly from there, which was the case when we were going down the night before, before we had this opportunity to visit with a lot of folks in Alabama. If you try to find a rental car that time of night, it is difficult. So we finally found a rental car after the third or fourth rental car opportunity, and then we drove to Montgomery. Now, if you drive from Atlanta to Montgomery--people don't usually recommend doing that, but I will tell you, from about 1:30 in the morning to about 4 a.m., it is an easy drive. Then you get to Montgomery, and you get to that square they have there in Montgomery where they have a statue of Hank Williams. So the first person to welcome me in Montgomery, AL, was Hank Williams. Of course, being a country and western aficionado--or at least fan--I thought that was very special. So we went down and saw Hank. I saluted him. Then we went off to the hotel. Of course, the hotel had given up our hotel reservations. So that posed a little bit of a problem. They finally made some accommodations for me, at least, but it didn't have a bed. It was an office room. Then I finally figured out it was a wall bed, and I pulled the wall bed down, but there were no sheets and pillows. I just sort of slept in my wardrobe, so to speak. Then I said: I can't sleep. It was getting to be 5:30, 6:30 a.m., and we were starting off about 7 in the morning. I came down the elevator, and as happened, the elevator door opened up. Across from me was Luther. He said: How did you sleep, Mr. Chairman? I said: As well as could be expected. Finally, I told him what happened. After all of that, I had probably one of the best days in my service in the Senate, visiting a State I had not visited before. I talked to every commodity group, every farm organization representative. We went out to many different farms. I learned firsthand that a big export factor to China is peanuts. If we are going to be making friends with China--or at least getting to a situation where we have a better relationship with any country--as you know, agriculture can be a tool for peace. It is a stabilizing factor. It becomes a national security situation. We talked about this at length. I must say I was very impressed with the folks I met there and the respect they had for you, Luther, for wanting to be on the Ag Committee, obviously, and for your record as attorney general and your public service. To a person, they were committed to you and thanking you for your service on the Agriculture Committee. So wherever you go, whatever you do, I know you are an Aggie. I know you will continue to fight for your farmers, and, as you know, we are going through a pretty rough patch. Personally, I want to thank you for your friendship, and, personally, I want to thank you for the message you gave to all Senators here, which I think should be mandatory in our quest to see if we can't achieve a better situation in working together to find solutions. The Senator from West Virginia and I feel the same way, and I know whatever you are going to do, you will do so with dignity and with respect and with strong leadership. Thank you, my friend.