Speech #1050136649

Almost 70 percent of the USDA budget is not for research or export promotion or conservation or for subsidies to farmersit is for food and nutrition programs. primarily the food stamp program. For those who have watched over the years as a greater and greater percentage of USDA funds have gone to welfare. often at the expense of programs that assist farmers and conservation. this legislation moves $1 billion back to agriculture. While I understand that some here today would like to see less money for food stamps for legal immigrants. others would like to see more. I recall that the Administration proposed in their budget that all this administrative savings go for legal immigrants and have threatened to veto crop insurance and research if it didnt also include funding for food stamps for legal immigrants. The food stamp provisions of this act are an essential step to providing much needed assistance to certain legal immigrants. Attempts to undo this carefullycrafted bipartisan compromise will result in delay and ultimately undermine the entire bill. The bipartisan leaders have worked hard to craft a bill that the President will accept.