The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RECOGNIZING MICHAEL O'CONNOR” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S11784 on Dec. 14, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING MICHAEL O'CONNOR
Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to commend an individual who has provided immeasurable service to the family farmers and ranchers in my home state of South Dakota over the past eight years. Mr. Michael O'Connor has been the South Dakota State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency, FSA, of United States Department of Agriculture, USDA. He was originally named the South Dakota State Executive Director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service of USDA by President Clinton in 1993. His current responsibilities include supervising activity in 60 county FSA field offices across the state.
As this Administration draws to a close, we sadly must say goodbye to some experienced, tireless, and talented people who have dedicated their professional careers to public service. Mike is one of those public servants, and so on behalf of the citizens of South Dakota, it is my honor to express our sincere gratitude to Mike O'Connor for his countless contributions and achievements.
Throughout his career Mike has aggressively served the agricultural community in South Dakota through positions of leadership in the South Dakota Farmers Union, the Clay-Union Electric Board of Directors, the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council Board of Directors, and the Union County Pork Producers. He also served in as a representative in South Dakota Legislature from 1987-1993.
Moreover, Mike, his wife Janelle, and their family have devoted their lives to production agriculture, operating a diversified grain and livestock farm for over 30 years near Alcester, South Dakota.
Mike has been a valuable resource for me and a determined advocate of family farmers as we developed and implemented farm programs. He is constantly trying to improve the delivery system with the interests of family farmers close to his heart, always searching for ways to implement programs that are fair and equitable to all. Mike exhibits the courage to take on the status quo, and demonstrates a will to ensure integrity in program delivery for agricultural producers.
Mike has guided innumerable disaster and assistance programs from the federal level to local disbursement in South Dakota. He and his top-
notch staff have been asked to implement these ad hoc disaster programs in addition to the day-to-day administrative requirements of current farm and conservation programs. From marketing loans and loan deficiency payments to production flexibility contract payments and market loss payments, to loan and conservation programs, to crop loss disaster payments, Mike has seen it all. He has worked with his statewide staff to administer these programs and distribute payments in an effective, timely fashion to South Dakota farmers. In this last fiscal year alone, the South Dakota FSA, under Mike's direction, has delivered over $750 million to farm program participants in South Dakota. Mere words cannot describe everything that Mike has done to serve the farmers and ranchers in South Dakota through such an awful period of economic distress. Mike is as respected in Washington, D.C. as he is in South Dakota, and his working knowledge of the intricacies of farm bill will be missed.
Therefore, it is with a sense of pride and yet, regret, that I wish Mike well in his future endeavors.
Mr. President, I thank you and wish Mike, Janelle, and their family success in their future plans. I know that we will continue to work together, as Mike will continue to provide a respected opinion that I will seek out during the upcoming Congressional farm bill debate. On behalf of the people of South Dakota, I want to thank Mike for being a true public servant who has helped improve the quality of life for farmers and ranchers all across South Dakota.
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