ports while over 1,500 news stories containing actualities were produced for radio and 431 for satellite TV news service transmission. Our teleconferencing center conducted 7 live video conferences last fiscal year, and for the first 5 months of fiscal year 1987 conducted 262 audio conferences. The audio conference use represented a 5-fold increase from the same time period of the previous year. I might say, Mr. Chairman, when the President signed the 1985 Farm bill, he appeared on the television teleconferencing at USDA. I would also like to extend the same invitation, as soon as it permits, to have the Jamie and Virginia Show. It would be an honor to have both of you on our network.

I might say, Mr. Chairman, I tried to get them to name it the VBM Agriculture Network, for Vinegar Bend Mizell. They wouldn't let me do it.

The Office of Public Liaison last fiscal year held numerous briefings at the Department which included several for constituents organized at the request of Members of Congress, and 92 groups representing various agricultural interests. This office recently sponsored a highly successful "Secretary's Challenge Forum" on biotechnology.

For our fiscal year 1988 budget request, I am requesting a funding level of $8,796,000. This represents a net increase of $397,000, or approximately 5 percent above our fiscal year 1987 level of $8,399,000. This increase consists of several items.

Specifically, we are requesting an increase of $52,000 to annualize 1987 pay costs, $296,000 to fund increased costs associated with the Federal Employees Retirement System, and a $49,000 increase in general operating expenses.

We will continue to publish the Yearbook of Agriculture for distribution as in previous years.

This concludes my statement. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[CLERK'S NOTE.-The prepared statement of Mr. Mizell appears on pages 161 through 162. The explanatory notes appear on pages 174 through 185.]

1985 FARM BILL

Mr. WHITTEN. I haven't heard or seen the President talk about the 1985 Farm Bill lately. I have heard people on the Senate side say we have one, but that is all I have heard him say about the 1985 bill. But the big thing again is, unless we change, we are sunk economy-wise.

I do point out that all of this happened because the Department failed to use the law-and they are failing to use it now. I don't know what we can do.

For the record, when the Budget Act was up, I asked the Speaker to be sure our Appropriations Committee was represented on Budget Committee. We got the Act to include an exception for the Commodity Credit Corporation because, under the law as intended, we provide $25 billion to a corporation which was set up so our people could use this government corporation to compete with foreign countries, where the governments handle these matters through a governmental body.

The Department has failed to use that. But our efforts were made for the purpose of leaving the corporation free to discharge its duties, which were primarily to provide support to offset the U.S. cost of production, and then sell commodities in the free market.

Everybody else does that except us.

We did it a little differently, and I went through this for years, as you may know, what other countries do. They set their price at the world price and tax their people to offset domestic costs. Here, we support prices at a high level, we did in past years, and then sell at a lower level. And the corporation was set up for that purpose.

What we did under the 1985 Act was to set a target price, where the farmers sold below cost and let them be dependent on a check from the government to stay in business.

As you can readily see, we have got an urban Congress, and that check to producers is not going to be forthcoming over the long

run.

Right now, the budget we have before us, cuts all the domestic programs to increase the carryover funds for the military and foreign aid. If it continues, we will be in terrible shape. We are in terrible shape now.

What I am doing is trying to get over to the American people that they are hurting the biggest industry we have and they have done it to the point right now that we are dependent on those we were at war with not too many years ago to support our deficit.

SALE OF ASSETS

We have spent the money we had. We have spent the money we could borrow. Now the Administration wants to sell some of the Government's assets.

First notice I got of this was the proposed sale of the Elk Hills Facility. I called attention to the fact we couldn't enter into a contract with a private corporation in perpetuity. So now they are going to sell off some of the assets because of the faulty policy we have followed.

It is most disturbing and if anybody wishes to get this report which was made, it clearly shows the situation, I don't know the answer, except to quit doing the things that have proven to be bad. I would say again, if it is any comfort to the President, we have been unable to keep them from happening through the years that I have been here.

Mr. WHITTEN. According to the explanatory notes you are receiving $3,052,000 in appropriated funds from other USDA agencies. For the record please provide a table showing from what agencies the funds are to be received and what services are to be provided. Mr. MIZELL. Mr. Chairman, I would be happy to provide you with those estimates.

[The information follows:]

The costs below are agency's shares of the cost of supply and other central services; reproduction services; video and film, photographic, and other visual information services; services provided by the Office of Finance and Management; and ADP services provided through the Department's Working Capital Fund.

Mr. WHITTEN. According to the notes OGPA travel costs have fluctuated from $72,767 in 1986 to $141,000 in 1987, and decreasing to $95,000 in 1988. Please explain for the record the reasons for this fluctuation.

Mr. MIZELL. Travel is one of the first areas we reduce when funds are constrained or are needed to meet other operating requirements. That was the case in FY 1986. For FY 1987, we felt it important to plan for increased levels for travel, in part, because we have been forced to curtail so much over the last few years. The FY 1988 request level represents more moderate travel plans than in FY 1987, but is adequate to meet the Office's responsibilities.

OTHER SERVICES

Mr. WHITTEN. Please provide a sub-object classification for the object class Other Services.

Mr. MIZELL. Of course.
[The information follows:]

OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS-OBLIGATIONS IN OBJECT CLASS 2500 (OTHER

Mr. WHITTEN. Please submit for the record a copy of the most recent OGPA organizational chart showing the total staffing per unit.

Mr. MIZELL. I will gladly provide a copy.

[The information follows:]