20 



We are endeavoring to change that perception, indeed, to change 

 that reality. 



Nonetheless, Mr. Chairman, I am very excited about heading an 

 agency which does so much good for our country. Each weekday 24 

 million children have a healthy lunch. Many also have a healthy 

 breakfast. Infants receive needed formula under the WIC Program. 

 And millions more benefit from the receipt of food stamps. 



As you know, I was the chairman of the Domestic Task Force of 

 the Select Committee on Hunger. I was privileged to have served 

 on that committee with Bill Emerson. I know that hungry children 

 don't just exist in Somalia. They exist in the district I had the 

 pleasure to represent for the last 6 years. They still exist there. 

 They exist in Georgia, Alabama, and unfortunately all over the 

 Nation. 



It is incredible to me, Mr. Chairman, that as we approach the 

 dawn of a new century in just 7 years from now, that people still 

 don't have running water in our Nation. We simply have to do 

 something about it. Whether we include it as a facet of REA, 

 whether we include it as a facet of RDA, I really don't care. I know 

 that we have to do something about it. 



So Mr. Chairman, in conclusion, there are many, many problems 

 inside of USDA which, with your help, I am eager to correct. But 

 there are also many positive aspects to USDA services. These re- 

 sults have not happened by accident. With your help and with the 

 advice and guidance of the members of this committee, I am going 

 to try to represent the positive aspects of the Department of Agri- 

 culture and try to make this Department all that it should be. 



Finally, I would like to say three more things. If you will, I will 

 not read this. I will respond to questions, if you have any, and cer- 

 tainly to written questions. 



I would also like to introduce Keith Collins, the economist at 

 USDA and Joe O'Mara who is someone I believe you all know. 



Joe was the principal negotiator on the GATT and to a great 

 degree had a lot to do with the NAFTA agreement, such as it is. 

 Now he is the Acting Under Secretary for International Affairs 

 and Commodity Programs. 



Ron Blackley, is my Chief of Staff. Ron is on board at USDA, al- 

 though not too many others are. 



Mr. Chairman, over in the other body during my confirmation I 

 talked about my father. My father graduated from Tuskeegee Insti- 

 tute with a degree in agriculture. He got his first real job in 1937 

 as an agricultural extension agent in Crittenden County, Arkansas. 

 At that point they called him the Negro county agent of Crittenden 

 County, Arkansas and West Memphis, Arkansas. 



Since the confirmation hearing, I had a chance to go down into 

 the bowels of USDA into the archives. I have had a chance to read 

 his quarterly reports to the USDA as the Negro county agent. 



Everything I said over there with regard to his interest in main- 

 taining the programs of the Extension Service and promoting the 

 livelihood of the farmers he represented are just tripled and quad- 

 rupled. He talked about improving farm income. He talked about 

 reducing overhead. He talked about alternative crop development. 

 He talked about expanding trade. Of course, at that time he wasn't 

 talking internationally, rather domestic trade and trade options. 



