"Let us stop and think about what this says about our government."
April 25th, 2012
Agriculture Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Sam Farr
"Thank you Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Dicks. Earlier this year Congress did what many thought was impossible.
"We came together and passed a bipartisan funding bill that struck a balance between our responsibility to get our fiscal house in order, and our need to support a struggling economy. This bipartisan effort delivered a positive message that Congress can get things done. And that Congress could deliver the stability our nation needs.
"Yet after just a few short months, that bipartisan agreement has been ignored-as if to say this never happened. But it did happen. It is real. And it was voted by Congress and signed by the President.
"Apparently a vote by Congress and a signature by the President is not good enough anymore.
"Let us stop and think about what this says about our government.
"Then take a step forward and think about the uncertainty that this creates for multiple government agencies that are tasked with safeguarding our nation's food supply or facilitating the trade of our country's agriculture products.
"How about the families who depend on food assistance, and our struggling to make ends meet through this economic downturn?
"And what about the agency that is responsible for assuring that the medical devices and medicines that reach our pharmacies and our home medicine cabinets are safe?
"What is happening here is irresponsible.
"We have an obligation to get our fiscal house in order. That is not in question. But we also have a responsibility to deliver the basic services that help our economy move and the services and programs that support families and children fighting to beat poverty.
"What is happening here is irresponsible and we are simply sending the wrong message.
"I want to urge all of my colleagues to reject these subcommittee allocations."
Source: U.S. Department of HCA