Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to D. C., June 3, 1996

Congress of tfje (Unite!) States JS)ou8e of Heprcsentattoes ©Hashington, 2D€ 20515-2002 June 3, 1996 Thank you for contacting me to express your support for H. R. 2854, the 1996 farm bill. I benefit by hearing your views. Both H. R. 2854 and the subsequent compromise reached by House-Senate conferees passed the House by wide bipartisan margins. President Clinton signed the measure into law on April 4. You will be pleased to know that I strongly supported this common-sense, reform-minded legislation. The farm bill enacted by Congress brings our nation’s agricultural industry squarely into the 1990s. It replaces an antiquated, New Deal-era federal farm program with a market-driven system which maximizes farmers’ freedom of choice over planting decisions. It promotes fiscal responsibility by replacing the traditional farm subsidy program with a system consisting of fixed, contract-based payments to farmers. It reauthorizes important export enhancement programs which will help America’s farmers secure a broader share of the international marketplace. It also reauthorizes important environmental and farmland conservation programs. You will be interested to know that I supported two amendments to H. R. 2854 which would have completely eliminated all federal price supports for sugar and peanuts. These amendments allowed market forces, not bureaucratic dictates, to establish the price paid by food manufacturers for these commodities. This savings would ultimately be passed onto the American consumer. While both amendments narrowly failed, I supported a third, successful amendment eliminating the outmoded milk price support system. Due to the wide bipartisan support both amendments received, I am confident that Congress will explore the sugar and peanut subsidy issue again in the near future. Once again, thanks for writing. Let me know if I may be of assistance to you in the future. Sincerely, Robert L. (Ehrlich, Jr. Member of Congress