23 



Unfortunately, I was asked by one of these investigative report- 

 ers, "Why your commitment to the Screwworm Eradication Pro- 

 gram? Is it because your father worked there?" 



My father has long since departed APHIS and this life, but I 

 have continued to have a great interest in APHIS. 



So together you and I will work to see that these people, unheard 

 of by most, who have contributed greatly to USDA, that their ef- 

 forts will be recognized. Certainly, you being where you are and me 

 being where I am brings some recognition to at least two individ- 

 uals. But we have to bring it to all the rest. 



Mr. Secretary, I am going to give you a copy of my chart. You 

 have mentioned, almost unthinking, what it does here. I was so 

 very proud that in your confirmation hearing you mentioned the 

 story that has been quoted by so many. 



Mr. Roberts. What is that story, Mr. Chairman? [Laughter.] 



The Chairman. In order to identify the members of our commit- 

 tee, we have designed a cap for the Committee on Agriculture 

 which I have bought. These are not appropriated funds, if anyone 

 would ask. [Laughter.] 



But we wanted you to have the first one before we hand them 

 out to all of the members. 



Secretary Espy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



The Chairman. You are now a member emeritus. You are the 

 most important one of the Agriculture Committee. 



We have our usual — I don't know how much time you have — but 

 our usual practice is that those who were here when the gavel 

 sounded on seniority, and then on time of arrival for comment or 

 questions. 



Secretary Espy. I would like to comment on the budget. 



Again, OMB, while approving statements and editing statements, 

 they also admonish you not to make news. [Laughter.] 



If I could then just reflect upon my history as a member of this 

 committee and a member of the Budget Committee, where I tried 

 to counsel against wanton budget cuts, particularly with regard to 

 agriculture, we are only 4 percent of the Federal budget. And 52 

 percent of that involves money spent surrounding the promotion of 

 food and nutrition programs. 



When it comes to the commodity programs, it has recently aver- 

 aged only between $10 and $16 billion. So we don't have a lot of 

 deep pockets there. 



I also told them that with regard to our target prices and our 

 price support levels and what we spend for these programs, I 

 wanted to make sure that the left hand realized what the right 

 hand would be doing when it came to international trade. As we 

 reduce these domestic levels, we should make sure of the ramifica- 

 tions it will have in the GATT. 



I really then expressed doubt that we realized what we had been 

 doing. I counseled against it. 



The Chairman. We thank you very much. 



Again, we welcome you and look forward to working with you. 



The clerk advises me that since I had not advised her, she did 

 not note the time of arrival of the members, so we will just go from 

 right to left. And as is our custom before this session, we will take 

 one from the Democratic and one from the Republican senior level, 



