Y 4.AP 6/1: AG 8/2003/ PT.1 FED-DOCS AGRICULTURE, KUKAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND HENRY BONILLA, Texas, Chairman JAMES T. WALSH, New York JACK KINGSTON, Georgia MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut SAM FARR, California ALLEN BOYD, Florida GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York TOM LATHAM, Iowa JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri VIRGIL H. GOODE, JR., Virginia RAY LAHOOD, Illinois NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND HENRY BONILLA, Texas, Chairman JAMES T. WALSH, New York JACK KINGSTON, Georgia MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut SAM FARR, California ALLEN BOYD, Florida GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York TOM LATHAM, Iowa JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri VIRGIL H. GOODE, JR., Virginia RAY LAHOOD, Illinois NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS C. W. BILL YOUNG, Florida, Chairman RALPH REGULA, Ohio JIM KOLBE, Arizona SONNY CALLAHAN, Alabama CHARLES H. TAYLOR, North Carolina ERNEST J. ISTOOK, JR., Oklahoma JOE KNOLLENBERG, Michigan JACK KINGSTON, Georgia RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN, New Jersey ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington RANDY "DUKE” CUNNINGHAM, California TODD TIAHRT, Kansas ZACH WAMP, Tennessee TOM LATHAM, Iowa ANNE M. NORTHUP, Kentucky VIRGIL H. GOODE, JR., Virginia DAVID R. OBEY, Wisconsin ALAN B. MOLLOHAN, West Virginia NANCY PELOSI, California PETER J. VISCLOSKY, Indiana NITĄ M. LOWEY, New York CARRIE P. MEEK, Florida DAVID E. PRICE, North Carolina ROBERT E. “BUD" CRAMER, JR., Alabama JESSE L. JACKSON, JR., Illinois CHAKA FATTAH, Pennsylvania JAMES W. DYER, Clerk and Staff Director (II) RE AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2002. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WITNESSES ANN M. VENEMAN, SECRETARY JAMES R. MOSELEY, DEPUTY SECRETARY STEPHEN B. DEWHURST, BUDGET OFFICER INTRODUCTION OF WITNESSES Mr. BONILLA. The subcommittee will come to order. This morning we are delighted to welcome Secretary Veneman, Deputy Secretary Jim Moseley, Chief Economist Keith Collins and our good friend, the long-suffering USDA Budget Officer Steve Dewhurst. We are delighted to be beginning our new year of appropriations today. Last year, as many of you recall, we started a little later with our hearings. At the time the Secretary was getting her feet planted at USDA, and we had her come in at the end of the hearing cycle. This year not only is she almost getting her leadership team at the USDA complete, but we also have received the President's budget. There has been a lot of opportunity to go over it, and we will have a lot of questions about that today. If we recall last year as well, the biggest problem that we had facing us at the time was foot and mouth disease and the great concerns we had about it affecting American producers and American livestock. Obviously things have changed and I know that the priorities at USDA have also changed. We are anxious to hear about those changes and what plans are for the coming year. Before we take testimony this morning, though, I would like to yield to my friend Ms. Kaptur to see if she has any opening remarks. Ms. KAPTUR. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, very much as we kick off these hearings for the new fiscal year of 2003, and we want to welcome the Secretary. This is, I think, your second official appearance before our committee, and we have been very impressed with the work that you are doing in taking the reins at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and look forward to your testimony this morning. Thank you, everyone, the Chief Economist and Deputy Secretary and obviously Steve Dewhurst also, for coming this morning, and we are very anxious to get this year rolling. (1) |