16 



I know the transition team advising the President had hoped we 

 could spend $20 billion a year in regard to infrastructure. We 

 would all hope that would be the case. I know Ms. Long just indi- 

 cated that in her statement increases. 



But we have already mandated cuts not increases in the farm 

 program payments. The chairman has stressed over and over 

 again, ever since the mid-1980's, that we in agriculture have taken 

 the often bitter but necessary medicine of deficit reduction. We 

 have done our share. The chairman has pointed out — I don't have 

 his chart as of this morning — I wish I did have his now infamous 

 and well-recognized chart. He is now looking for it. [Laughter.] 



Secretary Espy. I have that chart memorized, Mr. Roberts. 



Mr. Roberts. We will do our part. But if this Congress does enact 

 a freeze or decides to exact some budget cuts, rest assured we will 

 meet our responsibilities, but we will not shoulder the budget prob- 

 lems alone. 



I also want to say that the 1990 farm bill put in place several 

 programs in regard to conservation, research efforts, farm manage- 

 ment methods that we have to have, and we simply do not have 

 the money to go ahead and do what we wanted to do with the farm 

 program. 



I think the one thing that I want to tell people here, at least in 

 terms of our side and in terms of my personal opinion, we have al- 

 ready mandated the program cuts to producers. When we go 

 through the additional budget cuts, I know Republicans are going 

 to look very, very skeptically on any kind of add-ons to other pro- 

 grams that would take away from the hard-pressed producer. 



We also have challenges in regard to GATT, NAFTA, and export 

 policy, but in the interest of time, I am not going to go into that 

 this morning. 



A final point. We have all been closely watching and studying 

 the efforts to restructure the USDA. I know you have a meeting 

 scheduled for Friday and I will be a party to that. We want to work 

 with you. 



My goodness, this issue must be faced with some common sense 

 and with some facts. To date, with all due respect to some of my 

 colleagues here and more especially in the Senate, much of the 

 commentary and the criticism has simply not been factual. I will 

 repeat that a lot of it has not been factual. We must be resolute in 

 our position to ensure that the USDA can continue to fulfill its 

 mission in helping agriculture feed and clothe this Nation and a 

 very hungry and troubled world. 



Our goal should not be to have the USDA be subservient to other 

 Departments and agencies and committees who place farm income 

 and the economic viability of agriculture far down the priority list. 

 In this regard, Mr. Chairman, I am a little concerned that the EPA 

 yesterday made public a list of 35 pesticides that might be subject 

 to sanction under the Delaney clause. 9m 



This action, which could lead to the effective commercial with- 

 drawal of these very valuable input chemicals, was not mandated 

 by law or logic. My concern is that while we all want to see some 

 legislative progress in the food safety arena, and more especially 

 reform of the Delaney clause, I think this is a poor way to go about 

 it. 



