Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008

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Mrs. BOXER. I thank Senator Feinstein. She and I have gone to the farms. We have seen what is happening. We have seen the fruit just fall from the trees and wither when people are hungry. This is a ridiculous situation.

The question I have for my friend is--it is rather rhetorical, given the rules of the Senate--all of us have worked so hard for so many years for the AgJOBS bill. Isn't it a fact that it has been years since Howard Berman in the House started this and we all got involved? And isn't it so that instead of being a contentious matter, AgJOBS has had strong support, not only in the Senate but all over the country? Isn't it true that AgJOBS is supported not only by the owners of the ranches and the farms but also supported by all the unions and the labor people? And isn't that a reason to pull together, to unite? Isn't it so that it pulls together Republicans and Democrats?

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Mrs. BOXER. Will the Senator yield further? I wish to tell my friends that I have discussed this with Senator Harkin. We had a meeting in my office about California priorities. I talked with him about how much Senator Feinstein and I would like this bill. I think he is very open. I am sorry the Senator from Georgia does not feel as we do about it, but I think we have a good chance of getting it in the farm bill, or at least getting a version of it and, if not, getting it done freestanding.

It is at a crisis point. Senator Feinstein has shown us that we are losing our people, we are losing farms, we are losing workers, we are losing whole economies, and it is just the start. Seven years ago, we knew this was going to happen. It is time to act.

I appreciate Senator Reid's commitments, and this is a man of his word. I hope we can all work with Senator Reid and also Senator McConnell to bypass some of the negativity we have heard tonight.

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