Speech #1050136717

I am pleased to support the Agricultural Research. Extension. and Education Reform Act of 1998. This legislation provides funding for the federal crop insurance program. important agricultural research programs and the restoration of food stamp benefits to approximately 250.000 legal immigrants. I have long been a strong supporter of federal nutrition programs that help to combat hunger. On November 24. 1997. Senator HARKIN and I sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and Director of the Office of Management and Budget Franklin Raines. which was signed by fortyfive of our Senate colleagues. Our letter urged the Administration to provide funding for food stamp benefits for some of the most vulnerable members of our society: legal immigrants who are children. elderly. or disabled. As the Agricultural Research bill was sent to conference. I joined with four of my colleagues in a March 23. 1998 letter urging the conferees to provide relief to poor legal immigrants and refugees who previously were eligible but had lost federal food stamps under the 1996 welfare law. I am pleased that the final conference report restores these benefits. I also joined seventy of my colleagues in an April 24. 1998 letter urging that the conference report be brought to the floor for a vote as soon as possible. Besides providing food stamp benefits to vulnerable legal immigrants. this bill also provides critical funding for the federal crop insurance program. which will allow affordable crop insurance to be offered to our nations farmers. Agriculture is Pennsylvanias number one industry. and it is vital that we provide insurance to our farmers who work so hard to provide our country and the world with a stable food supply. The legislation will also provide $600 million over the next five years in funding for agricultural research programs. which are critical to our countrys efforts to produce enough food for an everincreasing world population. The Agricultural Research. Extension. and Education Reform Act is an important piece of legislation. for legal immigrants. our nations agricultural community. and the nation as a whole. I am therefore pleased to support this legislation.