Sunday
February 11

Issues
Issue BackgroundPriorty IssuesIssue Analysis

Farm Bureau Questions
the Candidates for President

Gov. George W. Bush

1. A new farm bill will be written within the next two years. What will your administration’s priorities be?

Agriculture is not just one industry among many. It is the heart of the U.S. economy. The entire food and fiber sector – including agricultural production, transportation and marketing – accounts for 13 percent of our nation's economic production.

Americans account for just four percent of the world’s population. Clearly the farmer’s greatest challenge – and opportunity – is to gain ground in the markets that feed the other 96 percent. When I am president, I will help farmers overcome everything from bad weather to closed markets – expediting emergency assistance when needed, helping farmers rely less on government control of supply and more on market demand, reforming crop insurance, providing tax initiatives to help farmers safeguard against downturns in the farm economy, abolishing the pernicious estate tax, restoring balance and common sense to regulations, heralding advances in technology and finding innovative uses for agriculture products, in the United States and abroad, and dismantling trade barriers built by foreign governments and tolerated by the current administration.

As governor of the nation’s second-largest agriculture producing state, I have enacted innovative policies to support the continued growth of Texas’ farm sector, including:

  • Signing into law the "Agriculture and Rural Development Act of 1999," which provided the means for the creation of the state’s first comprehensive agriculture policy.
  • Appropriating $25 million in emergency spending and $50 million in cost-sharing assistance to aid cotton farmers with boll weevil eradication. This provided over 23,000 producers with needed support during an especially difficult crop season.
  • Enacting the "Young Farmer Loan Guarantee Program," that expanded the Texas Agriculture Financing Authority to provide $225 million in loan guarantees to assist in rural development and value-added agriculture production.

I also led the successful fight, in my first term as governor, for one of the strongest laws on private property rights in the nation.

Responding to the Current Crisis

The 1996 Farm Bill reversed decades of supply control management, and unleashed U.S. farmers to plant in response to market demand, not government programs. After a period of substantial growth, the farm economy has now weakened due to increased global production and slack demand, principally in Asia.

As the farm sector moves toward market-driven production, I believe the government should help farmers adapt to a global marketplace by providing them with a strong safety net and the means to manage the cyclical downturns in the farm economy. That’s why I support:

  • Prompt emergency assistance to help farmers make the transition to a market-driven regime: The farm sector has been hit hard by the impact of large supplies and low prices. That’s why I support additional emergency assistance, which should come in the form of direct payments, consistent with the principles in the 1996 Farm Bill, to ensure that the move toward a market-oriented farm policy continues. Once aid is approved, it should always be quickly disbursed, as the Administration’s slow implementation of last year’s package needlessly caused further hardships in the agriculture community.
  • Reform of the crop insurance program: Under the current crop insurance program, 60 percent of cultivated land is covered by crop insurance. We must make it a priority to develop a crop insurance program that better reflects farmers’ risk management needs, including policies that cover more commodities, including livestock, offer a wider variety of plans, more comprehensive coverage, and affordable premiums. At the same time, we should encourage the private sector to continue to develop new risk management tools, like the Crop Revenue Coverage and Revenue Assurance programs, which are now available in six states.
  • Incentives to encourage farmers and ranchers to establish tax-deferred accounts to help manage fluctuations in farm income: I understand that "saving for a rainy day" has a literal meaning for farmers and ranchers, who need new tools to help them manage through cyclical downturns. That’s why I support the creation of farm and ranch risk management accounts that would permit farmers to reserve a substantial percentage of their net farm income in a tax deferred account. These funds could be held in the account for several years to help farmers in years of declining income and aid in offsetting operating expenses and the purchasing of supplies for the next production cycle.
  • Reduce and ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches: Individuals, family partnerships or family corporations own 99 percent of U.S. farms. Estate taxes can destroy family-owned farms, ranches, and small businesses, when the tax – which can be as high as 55 percent – forces farmers and ranchers to sell land, buildings or equipment to pay the government. That’s why I favor eliminating the estate tax to allow farms, ranches and other small businesses to be passed, intact, from one generation to the next.

As important as these reforms are, I believe that over the long run the best way to ensure a strong, growing and vibrant agricultural sector is through a more market-driven approach that allows U.S. farmers to fully participate in the world economy. This will require investment in new and innovative technologies, ensuring that regulation is based upon sound science and common sense, and expanding markets overseas for U.S. farm exports.

2. What initiatives would you propose to maintain economic viability of the predominantly family-owned farm and ranch structure of American agriculture during a time of structural economic change in the production, marketing and transportation sectors?

According to the latest U.S. Census of Agriculture, 99 percent of farms are owned by individuals, family partnerships or family corporations with less than 10 shareholders. The comprehensive proposals outlined above and below lay out my strong commitment to the economic strength of America’s family-owned farms and ranches.

One immediate priority when I am president will be abolishing the death tax. The death tax is bad public policy, unwise and unfair – and has created an entire industry of lawyers and accountants. Falling most heavily on small businesses and family farms, the death tax impedes economic growth and creates a disincentive for seniors who want to save for their children or grandchildren. I believe that the bias of the death tax is the antithesis of the American Dream. People should be able to pass their assets, often family businesses or family farms, from one generation to the next without having to sell them off to pay a punitive tax to the federal government. Under my plan, wealth would be taxed once – when it is earned, not again when entrepreneurs and senior citizens pass the fruits of their labors to the next generation.

3. What changes in the estate and capital gains tax code would your administration support to alleviate these tax burdens on farm families?

The farm sector’s contribution to the U.S. economy is rivaled only by its impact on the American character. The spirit of the American farmer is emblematic of the spirit of America, signifying the values of hard work, faith and entrepreneurship. Nothing offends these values more than the estate tax, which violates every principle common to strong families, smart government and free enterprise. It has always amazed me that while trying to help farmers on one end through positive agriculture policies, the government punishes farmers on the other end with this destructive tax. Government makes it impossible for families to carry on one generation after another, and then we wonder why America’s farms are vanishing.

When I am president, I will eliminate the estate tax and tell the IRS "hands off." The estate tax is an impediment to private conservation, often leading to the break-up and development of family farms and ranches, open spaces and habitat for many species of plants and wildlife. The estate tax, which can be as high as 55 percent, serves as a powerful disincentive for cash-poor but land-rich individuals – particularly farmers and ranchers – who are forced to sell off equipment or land, sometimes to developers, just to pay the tax. It is bad policy, unwise and unfair. Eliminating the death tax will help private landowners to pass their land, intact, from one generation to the next.

4. What steps would your administration take to negotiate new trade agreements and monitor the implementation of existing foreign trade agreements to create opportunity and ensure fairness for American agriculture?

The next president must carry a simple and unequivocal message to foreign governments: We will no longer tolerate favoritism and unfair subsidies for your national industries. American farmers are without rival in their ability to produce and compete. We want to compete, and compete on level ground. I will not stand for trade barriers, and I will use all the leverage at our disposal to open agriculture markets worldwide.

The future prosperity of the U.S. farm sector depends in large part on the expansion of global markets for U.S. products:

  • The U.S. leads the world in agricultural exports, with $53.7 billion in 1998, which generated an agricultural trade surplus of $16.7 billion.
  • Nearly every state benefits from the income generated by agricultural exports, and nineteen states have exports of $1 billion or more.

As trade becomes an ever more important segment of the agricultural economy, I am committed to opening markets and to finding new avenues for American products – and American values.

With 96 percent of the world’s population living outside of the U.S., I recognize that the future prosperity of America’s farmers depends on expanding markets overseas. I am committed to free trade and will work to tear down barriers everywhere and will use every available tool to combat unfair trade practices. I am confident that America’s best is the best in the world. To lead the world on trade and open markets for U.S. farmers, we must:

  • Pass presidential trade negotiating authority so that we can negotiate new market-opening agreements: Every President since Gerald Ford has had this authority, which the Clinton-Gore administration let expire in 1994. As yet, they have failed to get this important tool renewed. The lack of this authority has not only hobbled this Administration’s ability to pry open foreign markets, but has undermined America’s fundamental ability to lead global market-opening efforts. As President, I will work with Congress to renew presidential trade negotiating authority.
  • Push for an ambitious agenda for the next round of global trade talks: I believe that the next trade round should level the agricultural playing field once and for all by completely eliminating agricultural export subsidies and tariffs worldwide. I support efforts for a so-called "single undertaking," or a big package in the next round of trade negotiations, in order to ensure maximum negotiating leverage.
  • Eliminating barriers to safe food: In 1999, 50 percent of the soybeans, 40 percent of the cotton, and about one-third of the corn produced in the U.S. was genetically modified. The European Union, however, has imposed a moratorium on the import of new biotech crops. Additionally, despite a ruling at the World Trade Organization, the European Community continues to ban the import of U.S. beef treated with growth hormones. WTO rules clearly state that health and safety regulations must be based on sound science. As president, I will fight to ensure that U.S. products are allowed entry into the EU and require them to use accepted scientific principles in enacting their regulations.
  • Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes: Unilateral trade sanctions are rarely effective in achieving their foreign policy goals, and often force U.S. businesses and farmers to lose market share to foreign competitors. That is why I believe that, if sanctions are used, they should be directed at the offending government, not innocent populations, and food and medicine exports should be exempt from any new unilateral sanctions.
  • China-WTO membership: I believe that on the right terms, admitting China to the WTO is in America's interest. It will provide U.S. farmers, ranchers and businesses access to a growing market, and will help introduce American values along with American products. The current administration has squandered enormous opportunities for American agriculture, failing to get China to increase quotas for bulk commodities like corn and wheat, and reduce tariffs on agricultural products to levels below those of most other U.S. trading partners. When I am president, I will work to open the China market – and other key export markets – for America's farmers and ranchers.

5. What would your administration do to support public research and development of agricultural biotechnology, ensure that new biotech products are safe and assist in educating the public about the safety of approved biotech products?

Farmers are on the front lines of the new "knowledge-based" economy. Advances in technology are leading to new products, increased productivity and more environmentally-friendly farming. In order for the U.S. agricultural economy to remain competitive, we must support projects that will generate new exportable goods. That is why I support:

  • Agriculture research and education activities that help develop technologically-advanced farm products for market here in the U.S. and for export to our world partners.
  • Permanent extension of the research and development tax credit.

The EU’s moratorium on the import of all but a handful of biotech crops is wrong. The rules state clearly that health and safety regulations must be based on sound science. And study after study has shown no evidence of danger. I will have strong relations with the EU, but I will not stand for unfair trade barriers. These objections to our biotech crops are trade barriers pure and simple – unfounded in science, unjustified in law and unfair in practice.

I am also committed to the continuing search for innovative, alternative uses for agricultural products, especially environmentally beneficial uses. That’s why I support the ethanol tax benefit. Ethanol helps our farmers and makes our air cleaner.

We need to accelerate our search for innovative uses for farm products. For example, research into biomass technology would develop efficient fuels and other chemicals from virtually any plant or plant product. This type of research could become even more important for fuels like ethanol, given emerging evidence regarding the potential environmental damage from the fuel additive MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether). As president, I will promote the development of new technologies for cost-effectively producing ethanol, biodiesel fuel and other bio-fuels and products.

6. What would you do as president to minimize the growing regulatory burden and assist farmers and ranchers with regulatory compliance?

I understand that private property is fundamental to our way of life and the backbone of our economy. In my first term, I signed one of the strongest private property rights laws in the nation. As president, I will require the federal government to carefully evaluate the impact of regulatory initiatives on private property rights. If the government, acting on behalf of all citizens, ever asks private landowners to refrain from utilizing land, I believe that the landowners should receive just compensation for their loss.

As governor, I have supported efforts to prioritize problem-solving over process, encourage innovation through positive incentives rather than the threat of punishment, balance the competing interests and goals of traditional land management practices and environmentalism and honoring private property rights. One example in my own state is the Private Lands Enhancement Program which provides technical assistance to landowners wanting to include wildlife management considerations in their land use practices. Under the program, wildlife biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department work one-on-one with private and public land managers to develop management plans for preserving or enhancing habitat. Today, nearly 10 million acres in Texas are under wildlife management plans. Another good example is Wyoming’s Coordinated Resource Management strategy, comprised of voluntary, landowner-initiated, problem-solving teams that use science, common goals and consensus to resolve natural resource issues.

For an example of how I would employ these principles nationally, consider the Kyoto Protocol, which I oppose. I believe that efforts to improve our environment must be based on sound science, not social fads. While scientific data show average temperatures have increased slightly during this century, both the causes and the impact of this slight warming are uncertain. Changes in the Earth's atmosphere are serious and require much more extensive scientific analysis. The Kyoto Protocol is ineffective, inadequate and unfair to America because it exempts 80 percent of the world, including major population centers such as China and India, from compliance. America must work with businesses and other nations to develop new technologies to reduce harmful emissions.

Another example of my balanced approach is the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), which I support. I recognize, however, that the FQPA presents many challenges, and several key concerns need to be addressed in its implementation:

  • The Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies should proceed to implement the new law in a manner that does not disrupt farmers' access to safe crop protection products.
  • New requirements under the FQPA should not be implemented in a manner that restricts the use of valuable crop protection tools unless viable alternatives are available.

7. What would your administration do to ensure that farmers have access to affordable, proven and practical pest control tools for their farming operation? What would you propose to ensure that sound science is the basis for public policy decisions?

I understand the importance of maintaining our research and extension systems, pest and disease prevention programs and our food safety requirements. And I support strong efforts to ensure clean air and clean water. At the same time, I also recognize that burdensome regulations have a real cost impact to the farm economy. That’s why I believe that regulations should be based on sound science and common sense, and solutions should involve local input, wherever possible.

8. The long held concept of "multiple-use" of our public lands has been under pressure from the environmental community and regulators in recent years. Do you support the "multiple-use" policy? What assurances will you provide and what policies would you propose to ensure that ranchers who depend on public lands for their livelihood will continue to have reasonable access to these lands?

Since the days of Teddy Roosevelt, there has been a national consensus that Americans have a common interest in protecting our precious natural resources. If I am elected president, I will speak for that great national goal. As an avid outdoorsman, I know all our prosperity as a nation will mean little if we leave the future generations a world of polluted air, toxic waste and vanished wilderness and forests.

The federal government has an important role to play in conservation – particularly in managing our national forests, park system, wilderness areas and national wildlife refuges. Problems arise, however, when leaders reject partnership and rely solely on the power of Washington – on regulations, penalties and dictates from afar. My philosophy is simple: conservation must begin with conversation. The federal government and the states, and local communities and private landowners, must build conservation partnerships and respect and work with one another to preserve our natural heritage. We need full public participation, and conservation decisions should be based on a balanced approach to responsible stewardship that encourages multiple use, including recreation. I will give states and local communities a meaningful say in how these lands are managed to allow for conservation, recreation and economic development.

A successful 21st Century environmental policy requires a leader who can reach across partisan lines and bridge political differences. The environmental changes facing us are contentious issues that require strong leadership. As president, I will be committed to improving the quality of our environment, and will work with both Republicans and Democrats to achieve our important environmental goals.

Our legacy should be an unwavering commitment to preserve and conserve our treasured lands – a commitment I intend to keep. The federal government has an important role to play in conservation – particularly in managing our national forests, park system, wilderness areas and national wildlife refuges. I believe there should be full public participation in the process of land conservation, and public land management decisions should be based on a balanced approach to responsible land stewardship that encourages multiple use, including recreation.

Problems arise, however, when leaders reject partnership, and rely solely on the power of Washington – on regulations, penalties, and dictates from afar. My philosophy is simple: conservation must begin with conversation. The federal government and the states, local communities and private landowners, must build conservation partnerships, respect and work with one another to preserve our natural heritage. We need full public participation, and conservation decisions should be based on a balanced approach to responsible stewardship that encourages multiple use, including recreation. I support multiple use policies and will give states and local communities a meaningful say in how these lands are managed to allow for conservation, recreation and economic development.

My philosophy is simple: conservation must begin with conversation. I believe we must build cooperative conservation partnerships between federal and state governments, local communities and private landowners. The people of New Hampshire should be allowed a meaningful say in how their forest is managed. The White Mountain National Forest is a model of success that balances conservation efforts with a sound multiple-use policy. The Clinton-Gore administration’s top-down approach ignores successful local efforts, like this. I support multiple use policies for our public lands and will give states and local communities a meaningful say in how these lands are managed to allow for conservation, recreation and economic development.

Today we have a federal system that urges Americans to do just the bare minimum, a system that does not reward innovation or results. As president, I will maintain a strong federal role, but I will return significant authority to states and local communities that are leading the way to improved and more innovative environmental protection. I will set high environmental standards and clear environmental expectations, and I will work to provide market-based incentives to develop the new technologies and approaches for Americans to meet – and exceed – those standards.

9. Numerous factors have contributed to a significant labor shortage in agriculture. As president, what would you do to ensure that agriculture has the necessary labor force to produce and harvest crops? Will you support congressional efforts to reform the H-2A program?

America is a nation of immigrants; legal immigration strengthens America and those who come here seeking freedom and opportunity. As governor of a border state, I know firsthand that immigration is not a problem to be solved; it is the sign of a successful nation. There is no disputing the great richness and benefits that legal immigrants with different cultures, history and traditions bring to America. New Americans are not to be feared as strangers; they are to be welcomed as neighbors. Today, however, when new Americans arrive on our shores, they are often greeted with bureaucracy and outright hostility. I believe we should greet our legal immigrants with open arms, not endless lines. The INS must embrace a new standard of service and culture of respect.

Overall, I would consider proposed reforms that lead to fairer, more humane and more effective immigration laws, and I have already proposed:

  • Restructuring the INS. The agency’s two roles – enforcement and service – often conflict, and I favor dividing the INS into two separate agencies: one to handle the enforcement components of border protection and interior enforcement, and another to handle the components of naturalization.
  • Encouraging family reunification by allowing spouses and minor children of permanent residents to visit.
  • Improving the agency’s culture to emphasize service for new immigrants by reducing delays when processing immigration applications, enacting incentives for employees to process cases quickly and making customer satisfaction a priority.
  • Increasing the number of H-1B visas to help meet America’s need for more high-tech workers.
  • Expanding the H-2A temporary agricultural workers program so that willing workers can help meet America’s labor needs.

I believe that legal immigrants are the changing face of America, and we should welcome them and treat them with respect. I oppose illegal immigration, though, and the federal government must improve its border enforcement through programs such as Operation Hold-the-Line. I understand that a healthy Mexico is good for America. Latinos are entering America to claim a better life for their families. The long-term solution is increased trade with Mexico because free trade is the best way for Mexico to grow a strong middle class, and improve people’s quality of life.

10. Why should farmers and ranchers vote for you?

I understand clearly the importance of the farming industry to individuals and families all across America. Farmers contribute to the wealth of America. But they also contribute to the character of our country by symbolizing some of the best and finest things about our nation: independence, hard work, risk-taking, and sacrifice. With their commitment to faith, family and the land, they also exhibit the true and best character of our country. In this downturn in the farm economy, aggravated by drought in much of America, we must provide farmers with the means to weather change. And we must fight hard to expand existing export markets – and pry open new ones – to fuel the future growth of the farm economy.

Crises come and go, but commitments do not. In this survey, I’ve laid out my commitments to you. In our high-tech economy, with everything changing so quickly, I think there is tendency to take the agriculture industry for granted. In a way, this is a tribute to farmers: America has long been the agriculture center of the world, and many just assume it will always be so. But this will not always be true, unless we support American farmers as they have supported us. The American people have always been able to count on you. Now it is time that you, the farmers of America, were able to count on us.

I'm running for president to focus our national attention and resolve on a few fundamental priorities. To improve our public schools so that every child is educated and no child is left behind. To rebuild our military and America's stature in the world so we can keep the peace and spread the cause of freedom. To cut taxes for every American to keep our economy growing and make the tax system fairer, especially for those struggling to join the middle class. To save and strengthen two vital programs for our nation's senior citizens: Medicare and Social Security.

In this presidential campaign, I have repeatedly called for a clean break from the recent past, a break from the endless parade of bitter charges and political gamesmanship. I want to extend the promise of prosperity to every forgotten corner of this country, and above all I want to do it in a way that upholds the honor and dignity of the White House. The president of the United States represents everyone, not a single district or state, and he must embody every day the high ideals of that high office. I believe the presidency – the final point of decision in the American government – was made for great purposes. It is the office of Lincoln's conscience and Teddy Roosevelt's energy and Harry Truman's integrity and Ronald Reagan's optimism. When I am president, I will strive for leadership that sets a new tone – a tone of respect, civility and bipartisanship. A president can provide that leadership. He can refrain from personal attacks and treat members of both parties with respect. He can reach across party lines and work hand-in-hand with all members. I reject today’s zero-sum Washington politics where one party’s win is the other party’s loss, where too many adopt the politics of the roadblock, the philosophy of the stop sign. I will be driven as president by this bottom-line priority: what is best for America. That firm philosophy – aiming to improve the lives of those who sent me here, nothing else – has been my record as governor, and that will be my record as president.

I deeply appreciate your commitment to the American tradition of farming.

Vice President Al Gore

1. A new farm bill will be written within the next two years. What will your administration’s priorities be?

I have continually fought for a strong safety net for America’s farmers. In this year’s budget, the administration and I proposed an $11 billion initiative to strengthen the farm safety net through 2002. But this annual need and battle for emergency aid shows that the Republican "Freedom to Farm" law has failed and needs to be replaced. I believe that long-term U.S. farm policy should be based on countercyclical income assistance that attempts to stabilize farm income on a year-to-year basis and complementary federally-backed insurance policies that attempt to achieve revenue stability within the growing year. I support a plan, similar to that proposed by Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) last year, to increase payments as crop prices or yields fall and to direct them to farmers actually producing crops. I also support crop insurance reform to make crop insurance more effective and affordable by increasing federal support for insurance, expanding insurance to new crops and livestock, modifying production history rules and aiding farmers who suffer multi-year disasters.

2. What initiatives would you propose to maintain economic viability of the predominantly family-owned farm and ranch structure of American agriculture during a time of structural economic change in the production, marketing and transportation sectors?

I have a long record of leadership on agricultural issues. I understand that supporting family farming and rural communities is essential to maintaining food security and preserving an important part of the American way of life. As a congressman, senator and vice president, I have fought for sound farm policies, including disaster assistance, crop insurance and expanded trade opportunities. As president, I will shore up the agriculture safety net that protects farmers when crop prices or yields fall unexpectedly; open foreign markets to American livestock and crops; reduce concentration in agribusiness; and expand non-traditional uses for agricultural products, such as ethanol and bio-based energy and products. I will also work to protect farmland and conserve natural resources and environmentally-sensitive land. My agenda for our nation's smaller cities and towns goes beyond farming, however, to create opportunity for everyone in rural America, both inside and outside the agricultural economy. Rural Americans deserve the same chance as all Americans to enjoy world-class education and health care, safer communities, efficient transportation and quality, affordable housing.

3. What changes in the estate and capital gains tax code would your administration support to alleviate these tax burdens on farm families?

As president, I will support fiscally responsible measures to reduce the estate tax burden on farm families. My plan would raise the estate tax exemption applicable to family owned farms from $2.6 million to $5 million for each family. Most small business owners and family farmers already pay no estate tax on their properties. My plan would eliminate estate taxes for more than 90 percent of family farms that currently pay estate taxes and provide estate tax relief for every family farm.

4. What steps would your administration take to negotiate new trade agreements and monitor the implementation of existing foreign trade agreements to create opportunity and ensure fairness for American agriculture?

I have worked hard to ensure fair access to foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products and have the international experience and knowledge to make expansion of agricultural trade a reality. As president, I will continue to pursue trade opportunities for America’s farmers by negotiating for broad and deep reductions in agricultural tariffs and other trade distorting barriers and for elimination of Europe’s export subsidies. Likewise, I will continue to push our European trade partners to accept American beef products and bio-engineered grains that have proven to be safe. I also supported China’s accession to the World Trade Organization on terms that benefit U.S. farmers and all Americans. Finally, I will continue to support exempting food and medicine from U.S. unilateral sanctions imposed on rogue nations, a policy implemented for the first time by me and this administration.

5. What would your administration do to support public research and development of agricultural biotechnology, ensure that new biotech products are safe, and assist in educating the public about the safety of approved biotech products?

Biotechnology holds tremendous promise for producers at home and consumers here and abroad. I believe that reducing world hunger and ensuring America's and the world's future food security depends on its development. Biotechnology promises new, higher-value crops for specific food and non-food uses, which will lead to increased farm income and improved economic opportunity in rural America. As president, I will continue to fight for agriculture research funding and will battle against protectionist trade barriers overseas to open new markets to American biotech products. I also realize that consumers, both in the U.S. and overseas, are customers whose views and concerns must be addressed. That is why I support a strong, science-based system of regulatory review of biotechnology-derived products to ensure that they do not threaten human health or the environment. As president, I will work with European and other foreign leaders to help countries improve their regulatory systems. I also advocate a sound public and international education campaign to heighten awareness of both the benefits and the potential implications of biotechnology.

6. What would you do as president to minimize the growing regulatory burden and assist farmers and ranchers with regulatory compliance?

Given the number of regulations with which farmers and ranchers must comply, the government should supply farmers with the tools they need to keep track of these regulations and should share some of the costs of meeting these regulatory goals. Accordingly, I support voluntary conservation programs offered by USDA that provide technical and cost-share assistance for farmers to help them comply with clean air, water quality and other environmental regulations. I also support easing government-imposed burdens on farmers in other ways. For example, the government should ease the paperwork burden on farmers by streamlining program reporting requirements and making it easier for farmers to submit information electronically. Better coordination among federal, state and local regulators is also necessary. Producers should not have to report multiple copies of the same information to federal and state regulators or to more than one federal agency.

7. What would your administration do to ensure that farmers have access to affordable, proven, and practical pest control tools for their farming operation? What would you propose to ensure that sound science is the basis for public policy decisions?

Ensuring that farmers do not lose access to effective crop protection following enactment of the Food Quality Protection Act has presented some significant challenges. I am committed to resolving these issues in a way that recognizes the importance of pesticides in crop protection and satisfies the health-based objectives of the law. The Environmental Protection Agency must have the resources it needs to carry out the law effectively – particularly to complete the review of older pesticides and the approval of new and safer products in a timely manner. And in reviewing these products, it is essential that the EPA has and uses the best possible data in evaluating pesticide risks so that its decisions are sound and scientifically-based.

8. The long held concept of "multiple-use" of our public lands has been under pressure from the environmental community and regulators in recent years. Do you support the "multiple-use" policy? What assurances will you provide and what policies would you propose to ensure that ranchers who depend on public lands for their livelihood will continue to have reasonable access to these lands?

My top priority in dealing with public lands is to maintain environmental soundness while ensuring that the taxpayers get their fair share. I am in favor of multiple-use since ranchers have shown that federal lands can be used responsibly and sustainably for grazing in accordance with environmental law. But ranchers and environmentalists alike know that not all federal land is appropriate for grazing, and I will work together to protect water quality, habitat for fish and wildlife species and other natural and recreational resources. Where grazing is permitted on federal land, I believe that federal agencies should work with ranchers to achieve the highest levels of range stewardship. I also support innovative approaches such as grass banking and voluntary, market-based initiatives to reduce the impacts of grazing and promote the best management practices.

9. Numerous factors have contributed to a significant labor shortage in agriculture. As president, what would you do to ensure that agriculture has the necessary labor force to produce and harvest crops? Will you support congressional efforts to reform the H-2A program?

I am committed to assuring an adequate, predictable supply of agricultural labor while protecting American farm workers who are among the poorest and more vulnerable in our society. I believe that we must punish employers who engage in a pattern and practice of recruiting undocumented workers in order to intimidate and exploit them, and provide strengthened protections for immigrant workers, including whistleblower protections. Doing so enhances conditions for everyone in the workplace.

I reject calls for guest worker programs that lead to exploitation, and instead call for adjusting the status of immigrants with deep roots in the country. To increase the supply of agricultural labor, I will continue to support the current administration’s position opposing provisions like Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) amendment to the non-immigrant farm worker program, which would adversely affect the recruitment of legal U.S. farm workers. In addition, I will continue to support the House passage of the amended Congressional Accountability for Regulatory Information Act of 1999 to allow more qualified immigrants to obtain non-immigrant visas by waiving or reducing the fees for certain applicants.

10. Why should farmers and ranchers vote for you?

I am committed to helping farmers and ranchers preserve their communities’ economic vitality and their families’ quality of life. By fighting for a strong safety net for ranchers and farmers, expanding investment in rural communities and improving rural infrastructure, I will help farmers and ranchers keep their farms and ranches in the family, sustain self-sufficiency, and preserve an important part of the American way of life.


This page was last modified Mon Oct 16, 2000 at 04:06 am

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