Mike Simpson

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 296) expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the necessity to expedite the settlement process for discrimination claims against the Department of Agriculture brought by African-American farmers.

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R 3577.

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3577) to increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for the north side pumping division of the Minidoka reclamation project, Idaho.

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 89) recognizing the Hermann Monument and Hermann Heights Park in New Ulm, Minnesota, as a national symbol of the contributions of Americans of German heritage.

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the chairman and the ranking member for their diligent work in making sure that this bill came to pass, this conference report. I rise in its support. It is critical to Idaho, not only the general aviation airports, but also to the commercial airports in Idaho. Unlike the previous speaker, I am very pleased that we have decided to extend the perimeter rule at Washington National Airport to those of us in the Western United States. It is critical. I hope that some of those slots that will be made available will be made available to the inter-mountain region's most important airport in Salt Lake City. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his work on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Oberstar on the success of their determined efforts to enhance our nation's commitment to a safe and effective air transportation system. Not only does this Conference Report provide landmark funding levels for augmenting and modernizing airport facilities, its multi-year reauthorization of the Airport Improvement Program breaks the cycle of short-term reauthorizations that has made safety- and capacity- enhancing projects at airports such as the Boise Air Terminal in my district needlessly difficult and costly. Particularly important to the citizens of rural districts such as my own are the provisions which guarantee AIP funding for general aviation airports for the first time. These small facilities represent the backbone of Idaho aviation, and this legislation secures them the flexibility of funding they need to continue to play a vital role in agriculture, firefighting, and wilderness access in my district. Another aspect of the conference report which I and many fellow Western members strongly support is the provision which allows exemptions for underserved communities to the current Perimeter Rule at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. I commend the conferees on creating a process which I believe fairly balances the interests of states inside the Perimeter and those of us from Western states without convenient access to Reagan National. With 12 new slots at Reagan National, this report represents a slight loosening of the restrictive conditions that prevail at one of our nation's most important airports. These limited exemptions to the perimeter rule from hubs like Salt Lake City will improve service to the nation's capital for dozens of Western cities beyond the Perimeter--while at the same time ensuring that cities inside the Perimeter are not adversely impacted by new service. This is a fair balance which is consistent with the overall intent of the bill to improve air service to small and medium-sized cities. Throughout consideration of this bill, our goal has been to ensure truth in budgeting for the Aviation Trust Fund and to improve air service for communities which have not experienced the benefits of deregulation to the same extent as larger markets. By refusing to accept a short-term reauthorization of FAA programs that would have interrupted the momentum for these much-needed reforms, Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Oberstar have achieved a remarkable success. Airports are key components to our regional economies and critical links to the world outside our communities. I support the Aviation Investment and Reform Act because it protects the investments we have made in these important facilities, and helps underserved communities take full advantage of the benefits of our nation's air transportation system. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 583 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``No.'' (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to speak out of order for 1 minute.) Further Legislative Program

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. economy is strong, with unemployment low, interest rates low, inflation low, the Dow and the NASDAQ outperforming our wildest expectations. In spite of this strong economy, there is one sector of our economy which is in a depressed state and has been in a depressed state for the last 3 years. That is agriculture. For a variety of reasons, agriculture is suffering. Whether it is the Asian financial crisis, the strong dollar, the regulatory burdens that we place on our farmers, all of these things are adding to the crisis in agriculture. Yet, there is one thing that is adding to it even more than these. That is the U.S.'s trade policies as they relate to agriculture, that have left agricultural producers at a competitive disadvantage to our counterparts in other countries. U.S. farmers know that we need trade agreements. In fact, one out of every 3 acres in the United States is produced for export. We have to have trade agreements, but trade agreements for trade agreements' sake are unacceptable. We have to have fair trade agreements. Trade agreements that leave our farmers and ranchers at a disadvantage, as they have in the past, are not fair. This is not a partisan issue. This has been a bipartisan failure on the part of administrations to negotiate fair trade agreements for our farmers and ranchers. Over 80 percent of the world's export subsidies are employed by the European Union. This is unfair. World trade tariffs average 50 percent, while in the United States, they average 10 percent. This is unfair. That is why the upcoming WTO ministerial rounds that take place later this month and early in December in Seattle are so important to agriculture. I was pleased to be a co-chair and am pleased to be a co- chair with the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy), Senator Dorgan of North Dakota, and Senator Craig of Idaho, to chair the WTO trade caucus for ranchers and farmers. We have over 50 of this caucus, Members of both parties, Members of the House and Senate, that have been meeting for the last several weeks trying to decide what the priorities of this Congress are that we must address in Seattle. We have met among ourselves and discussed these issues. We have met with producer groups to discuss the issues, to identify those things that are important, that we must address during the upcoming rounds of the WTO negotiations. Several of those things we have developed, and let me go through some of the important issues that we think must be addressed during this round of the WTO. Market access. We have to expand market access through tariff reduction or elimination. Export subsidies need to be eliminated. We need to reduce the European subsidies to a level provided by the United States before applying any formula reductions. In the past, the European Union has higher subsidies than the United States and our negotiations have reduced them proportionally. But when one group has a high tariff or subsidy level and another has a lower and they are reduced proportionally, America is still left at a competitive disadvantage. We must bring those to a level playing field before any formula reductions. We must have no unilateral disarmament when it comes to agriculture. We have to combat unfair trade practices and restore and strengthen enforcement tools against them. We have to improve the enforcement of the WTO dispute panel decisions. Currently when those decisions are made, there are times when our competitors will not abide by the dispute resolution. We have to support family farms. Preserve the flexibility to assist team farmers through income assistance, crop insurance and other programs that do not distort trade. We have to retain the full complement of nontrade distorting export tools including export credit guarantees, international food assistance, and market development programs. We have to be sure and establish disciplines on State trading enterprises to make them as transparent as the United States' marketing system is. And nontariff trade barriers, we have to ensure that science and risk assessment principles established by the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Accord during the Uruguay Round are the basis for measures applied to products of new technology and that this process is transparent. We also have to negotiate improved market access for products of new technology including bioengineered products. Mr. Speaker, we have met with our U.S. Trade Ambassador Charlene Barshevsky and our Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and I am pleased to report that the administration has told us that their highest priority in the upcoming round is agriculture. And, in fact, when they look at their priorities and place them against ours, they almost mirror the importance of the priorities that we have. So I am pleased that the administration is taking agriculture as an important negotiation during this WTO round that will start in Seattle. We cannot leave this round of the WTO with ag at a competitive disadvantage.

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a bill today with Representatives Kenny Hulshof and Wes Watkins to ensure our Nation's agricultural producers have a permanent trade ambassador. American farmers and ranchers need and deserve a representative within the Office of the United States Trade Representative to focus on agricultural trade issues. My congressional district in southern Idaho ranks among the country's more important agricultural producing congressional districts. A wide range of products are raised in the district including potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, barley, livestock, and a host of specialized commodities. Idaho producers of all of these commodities have conveyed to me the importance of having their concerns heard, understood, and advocated during the course of bilateral trade negotiations. Since being elected to represent the second congressional district of Idaho, I have become increasingly concerned by the extent of the agricultural crisis in Idaho and the role Canadian and European trade policies have played in exacerbating the problem. Uncompetitive trade practices threaten the survival of agriculture not only in Idaho, but throughout the United States. During the August district work period, I met with numerous farmers and ranchers throughout my congressional district and was told of the dire financial conditions many producers are facing. Many are at risk of losing their generations-owned family operations. I was regularly told of the need to open up new markets, reduce Europe's export subsidies, reduce tariffs worldwide, and ensure nontariff barriers do not inhibit market access to new products. Ultimately, my agricultural producers expect me to work to ensure unfair trade practices engaged in by our competitors are addressed by the WTO in a transparent and swift fashion, with strong enforcement mechanisms in place to guarantee compliance and fairness in the global marketplace. Farmers and ranchers in Idaho strongly believe making the Agricultural Ambassador position permanent will enhance their ability to secure new markets and compete in the global marketplace. I firmly believe that in order to secure the long-term stability of our agricultural economy we need to support the development of an open and fair trading system. Without a strong voice for addressing uncompetitive trade practices, our agricultural producers will continue to operate at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace. The creation of the Agricultural Ambassador (the Chief Agricultural Negotiator) position by Ambassador Charlene Barskefsky has already had a significant and positive impact on our country's farmers and ranchers. I have met with the current Agricultural Ambassador, Mr. Peter Scher, on a variety of agricultural issues important to Idaho, and appreciate his work on behalf of our farmers and ranchers. I am concerned that when this Administration departs the gains made by Mr. Scher in advancing the needs of America's farmers will be lost. At a time when agriculture in this country is struggling and is slated to be the number one issue at the upcoming round of WTO trade talks, it is unfathomable to me that we would not ensure the permanent presence of a strong, clear voice and vigorous advocate for agriculture is present at international negotiations. it is crucial the Agriculture Ambassador position be made permanent and transcend administrations, especially now when we are beginning to engage in intense multilateral negotiations on a host of agricultural issues. This legislation presents an opportunity for Congress to help our ranchers and ensure the opportunities for expanding and competing in new markets are not compromised in future trade negotiations. Our farmers and ranchers need to know their interests are being represented at trade negotiations and should be secure in the knowledge that their advocate will permanently remain in place. I hope my colleagues will recognize the importance and significance of this legislation and join me in the effort to make the Agricultural Ambassador position permanent.

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), I make a point of order against the language beginning on page 80, lines 11 through 23 that reads: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, hereafter any funds appropriated to the Indian Health Service in this or any other Act for payments to tribes and tribal organizations for contract or grant supports costs for contracts, grants, self-governance compacts or annual funding agreements with the Indian Health Service pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975, as amended, shall be allocated and distributed to such contracts, grants, self- governance compacts and annual funding agreements each year on a pro-rata proportionate basis regardless of amounts allocated in any previous year to such contracts, grants, self-governance compacts or annual funding agreements. This language clearly violates clause 2(b) of House rule XXI against legislating on an appropriations bill.

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order.

Mr. SIMPSON

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 282, the Sanders Amendment; I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Amendment Offered By Mr. Coburn

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 281, the McGovern amendment, I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Announcement By The Chairman