Food, Conservation, and Energy Security Act of 2008--Veto Message from the President of the United States
FOOD, CONSERVATION, AND ENERGY SECURITY ACT OF 2008--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 110-115) -- (House of Representatives - May 21, 2008)
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Mr. NEUGEBAUER. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Virginia for not only the time, but for his leadership, as well as the chairman, Mr. Peterson, on this important farm bill.
I heard some of my colleagues say this is not a good farm bill. But, do you know what? Seventy-five percent of our colleagues here in the House thought this was a good farm bill. Eighty-five percent of the Members in the Senate thought this was a good farm bill. And do you know why they thought it was a good farm bill? It is because they understand how important American agriculture is to our country.
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One of the things that we were listening to today, oil prices again set another record price today. Why? Because there is not enough oil to meet the demand for our country. There is a mentality going around here that maybe if we just don't produce things, things will just show up. But if we are going to eat feed and clothe America, we have to produce something. If you are going to get something, you have to produce something.
So what this farm bill does is it allows American agriculture to continue to do what it has been doing for hundreds of years, and that is produce the highest quality, the most affordable food and fiber in the world. It is the reason today demand for a lot of American agricultural products are at an all-time high. With the cheap dollar, you can buy the best for a lot less.
What is important here is that we have a future for American agriculture, because we don't want to be in the same shape we are today. We had to wake up today and figure out who is going to supply energy for America. The American people don't want us to have to wake up tomorrow and say who will feed us, who will clothe us, because we have let American agriculture die in America.
So this bill, the reason I support it and why I encourage my colleagues to override this presidential veto, is because it is a good bill. Yes, it is not a perfect bill, but it is a good bill. A lot of bipartisan work and bicameral work was done to bring this product to the floor, and that is the reason it is important now that we do what American agriculture has been waiting several months for us to do, is finally put in place permanent policy for American agriculture. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.
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