Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 13, 2004)

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(Mr. HAYES asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HAYES. Mr. Chairman, I would simply say hogwash to what the previous speaker said.

I am in strong opposition to the Flake amendment. This is an amendment that would block funding from the Agriculture Department to administer a tobacco buyout. The amendment is not fair for our tobacco farmers and quota holders in North Carolina and across America.

As we all know, the House recently passed the American Jobs Creation Act, which included a tobacco buyout. The most important factor, in fact, is not a new tax or a tax increase and it is not about smoking. We are simply moving 5 cents of the existing tax per pack to pay for a buyout that is badly owed to growers and quota holders whose quotas have been badly reduced.

Mr. Chairman, when I think of a buyout, I think of the folks in the eighth and other districts like Ricky Carter, Junior Wilsa, and Ester Smith, for people who make a living with tobacco and support their families and put their children through college. If my colleagues support this amendment, they will take away my constituents' ability to continue to do this in the future.

I ask all of my colleagues to vote against the Flake amendment, because we are getting rid of a government program and saving that money. Vote against the amendment.