24 



and then we will go down to the lower level and take one and one, 

 and rotate from upper tier to lower tier. 



This is democracy to the utmost in this committee, Mr. Secre- 

 tary. 



Secretary Espy. Yes. 



The Chairman. Mr. Roberts. 



Mr. Roberts. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



First of all, I want to thank you for this hat on behalf of all the 

 people who have haircuts like I do. [Laughter.] 



The Chairman. Don't say it. [Laughter.] 



Mr. Roberts. And I note that it is green in regard to our working 

 relationship with the Environmental Protection Agency. 



The Chairman. No, that is because I am Irish. [Laughter.] 



Mr. Roberts. Mike, may the luck of the Irish be with you. You 

 made a most pertinent and moving statement in reference to your 

 dad. I would only add that you are following in your dad's footsteps 

 in example and outstanding fashion. We are all very proud of you. 



Mr. Stenholm and I in the last session of Congress went to six 

 States to ask our farmers, ranchers, and employees with ASCS, 

 Farmers Home, and SCS what they would like to do to make the 

 farm program more farmer friendly and in regard to restructuring. 

 The report we got back was most helpful. I will bring it with me 

 when we have our meeting as of Friday. 



However, there are some States that are pretty hard hit in 

 regard to some of the recommendations. And in regard to restruc- 

 turing, Mr. Kingston of Georgia had a specific question or concern, 

 and I would like to yield my time to him at this particular time. 



The Chairman. To whom are you yielding? 



Mr. Roberts. To Mr. Kingston of Georgia. 



Mr. Kingston. Thank you, Mr. Roberts. 



Mr. Secretary, I would like to say thank you very much for com- 

 ments you made in Yazoo, Mississippi, last weekend and also the 

 ones you made today about starting at the top and cleaning the 

 house up there first. I think the farmers in my area certainly ap- 

 preciate that. 



One thing that I wanted to mention to you is that the farmers in 

 our area are ready to do their part to help increase efficiency in 

 the Federal Government. We would like you to consider satellite of- 

 fices in areas where you will be closing offices, or come to the con- 

 clusion that you have to. In some areas I think you will have to do 

 that. But if you could consider some satellite offices that are 

 manned on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or Monday, Wednesday, and 

 Friday that would serve the farmers. 



I just want to thank you for being sensitive to the needs of the 

 farmers. 



Secretary Espy. Thank you. 



I appreciate it and that is a good suggestion. We are going to be 

 moving first, as we have said already, with reorganization at the 

 Washington level, then the regional level, and then the local level. 

 I would imagine that once we get to that point we would have 

 input from many of you on options that we would implement. 



Many on this committee have good ideas — Dan Glickman, Pat 

 Roberts, and others — that we will be reviewing. I am fully con- 

 scious of the geographic differences between farm service offices in 



