35 



Mr. Stenholm. We would very much like to have it. 



Mr. Carlson. We will get them to you. 



Mr. VOLKMER. Did you go over the impact on their own budget? 



Mr. Stenholm. No. 



Mr. VOLKMER. I would like to ask that question. 



Do you have any opinion — and this would be purely opinion — 

 within ARS there are needs for facility maintenance, improvement, 

 and construction. The Congress has always appropriated so much 

 money for that, and that hasn't been able to support it. In my 17 

 years, I don't think the Congress has ever really provided the full 

 funding of what we actually needed, so we have fallen behind. 



But the Congress appropriates this other money that goes to 

 other facilities, although I feel — maybe I am wrong, and I want 

 somebody to correct me, agree with me, or disagree with me — that 

 if we applied that money instead to ARS or a portion of that to 

 ARS, wouldn't we be better off? Does that adversely impact on the 

 amount they are getting from ARS? There is only so much money. 



Mr. Carlson. I would answer personally we are very supportive 

 of these needs of ARS £uid in our reports that have been sent up 

 in the past — ^we have said that. I do know those came out of the 

 Assistant Secretary's office a number of times and I personally feel 

 that way myself. 



Mr. VoLKMER. Dr. Finney, would you like to comment? 



Mr. Finney. Well, that is a very awkward question for the Ad- 

 ministrator of ARS to address. [Laughter.] 



I think you could probably appreciate the answer the Adminis- 

 trator would give to you on that issue. But these are very complex 

 issues and I am sure the Congress wrestles with these questions 

 quite obviously. 



The agricultural research system in the United States, of course, 

 is a very complex system. I guess it gets to the philosophy of how 

 that system operates, how it came into being. The general impres- 

 sion, of course, is that the State agricultural experiment station 

 and the universities make important contributions to the economy 

 and the well-being in solving problems for agriculture. 



The Federal Government has a role that is a little different in 

 terms of looking at broader regional or national concerns. But the 

 assumption is that even the State agricultural experiment stations 

 make a contribution as well. 



So it is very difficult, of course, for the Administrator of ARS to 

 answer that question in a way that would serve ARS interests at 

 the expense of our cooperators and partners in the States. 



Mr. VOLKMER. We are not talking about anything except facility 

 money. I understand that you don't want to antagonize people over 

 on the Appropriations Committee, so I am going to drop it and let 

 you off the hook. [Laughter.] 



Mr. Finney. Thank you, sir. 



Mr. VOLKMER. I am sure you are thankful for any penny you can 

 get from them, so you don't want to antagonize them because these 

 are their little projects and not anj^hing else. We recognize that. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Stenholm. Let me ask that question a little differently. 



