AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2000 Y 4.AP 6 1: AG 8 2000 PT.6 HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES JOE SKEEN, New Mexico, Chairman JAMES T. WALSH, New York JAY DICKEY, Arkansas JACK KINGSTON, Georgia MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington SAM FARR, California HENRY BONILLA, Texas TOM LATHAM, Iowa JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri ALLEN BOYD, Florida NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking Minority Member of the Full Committee, are authorized to sit as Members of all Subcommittees. HENRY E. MOORE, JOHN J. ZIOLKOWSKI, MARTIN P. DELGADO, and JOANNE L. ORNDORFF, Staff Assistants PART 6 RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND FOOD, NUTRITION, AND CONSUMER SERVICES Rural Development Rural Utilities Service Rural Housing Service Rural Business Cooperative Service Food Nutrition and Consumer Services Food and Nutrition Service Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations Page 1 355 DEPOSITORY MAY 2 7 1999 Stanford University AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND JOE SKEEN, New Mexico, Chairman JAMES T. WALSH, New York JAY DICKEY, Arkansas MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut ALLEN BOYD, Florida GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington SAM FARR, California HENRY BONILLA, Texas TOM LATHAM, Iowa JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking HENRY E. MOORE, JOHN J. ZIOLKOWSKI, MARTIN P. DELGADO, and JOANNE L. ORNDORFF, Staff Assistants PART 6 RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND FOOD, NUTRITION, AND CONSUMER SERVICES For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 ISBN 0-16-058423-X 355 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS RALPH REGULA, Ohio C. W. BILL YOUNG, Florida, Chairman JERRY LEWIS, California JOHN EDWARD PORTER, Illinois JOE SKEEN, New Mexico FRANK R. WOLF, Virginia RON PACKARD, California SONNY CALLAHAN, Alabama JAMES T. WALSH, New York CHARLES H. TAYLOR, North Carolina ERNEST J. ISTOOK, JR., Oklahoma JOE KNOLLENBERG, Michigan DAN MILLER, Florida JAY DICKEY, Arkansas JACK KINGSTON, Georgia ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi DAVID R. OBEY, Wisconsin ALAN B. MOLLOHAN, West Virginia MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio NANCY PELOSI, California PETER J. VISCLOSKY, Indiana JOSÉ E. SERRANO, New York JOHN W. OLVER, Massachusetts CARRIE P. MEEK, Florida DAVID E. PRICE, North Carolina RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN, New Jersey ROBERT E. “BUD” CRAMER, JR., Alabama MICHAEL P. FORBES, New York GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington RANDY "DUKE” CUNNINGHAM, California TODD TIAHRT, Kansas ZACH WAMP, Tennessee TOM LATHAM, Iowa ANNE M. NORTHUP, Kentucky JOHN E. PETERSON, Pennsylvania JAMES E. CLYBURN, South Carolina MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD, California SAM FARR, California JESSE L. JACKSON, JR., Illinois CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK, Michigan ALLEN BOYD, Florida JAMES W. DYER, Clerk and Staff Director JILL LONG THOMPSON, UNDER SECRETARY FOR RURAL DEVELOP. WALLY BEYER, ADMINISTRATOR, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE ROBERT ARMSTRONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALTERNATIVE AGRI- STEPHEN B. DEWHURST, BUDGET OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTRODUCTION Mr. SKEEN [presiding]. The committee will come to order. Today we are taking up the Fiscal Year 2000 budget request for Rural Development, which includes rural housing, utilities, business-cooperative service, and the Alternative Agricultural Research and Commercialization Corporation. Now if that isn't a mouthful, I will guarantee you it is. Representing the Rural Development is the Under Secretary, the Honorable Jill Long Thompson, who is also a former colleague here in the House. Always glad to see you. And Madame Under Secretary, the committee had to postpone your hearing last week and we all appreciate the cooperation from you and your staff in rescheduling it for today. This agency does a lot of good work in rural America that is much appreciated here in Congress. Unfortunately, judging by its budget authority in recent years, it is not appreciated as much at OMB. But I do want to thank Mr. Wally Beyer, the Administrator_of the Rural Utilities Service, for his good work on the Plains/Tri State merger and ask him to continue to do whatever is possible to help our friends out in that particular area. Now, before we go to the witnesses, I would like to ask Miss Kaptur if she has any opening remarks. (1) |