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209 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
209 lines
6.4 KiB
Plaintext
##### updated format
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CLINTON/GORE ON AGRICULTURE
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As farm state natives, Bill Clinton and Al Gore
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appreciate how much American farmers have done for
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their country. The commitment and sacrifice of
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those who feed the United States and much of the
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world must not go unnoticed. A Clinton/Gore
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Administration will create an agriculture policy
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that both recognizes the small-family producers who
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have done so much to make America great and treats
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consumers and taxpayers fairly.
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Bill Clinton and Al Gore understand that
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guaranteeing an adequate quality food supply is an
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important strategic goal of the United States. Our
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current farm programs, properly managed, can
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achieve reasonable prices for producers and
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guarantee a safe and stable food and fiber supply
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for consumers. Bill Clinton and Al Gore believe
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that American farmers are the most competitive and
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efficient farmers in the world. A Clinton/Gore
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Administration will help them stay that way.
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THE CLINTON/GORE PLAN
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Trade
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Protecting our environment
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Expand food aid
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Research, development and new ideas
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A department for agriculture
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Trade
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* Work hard to open new markets for American
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agricultural products, particularly in Eastern
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Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent
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States.
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* Support full use of federal export tools like
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the Export Enhancement Program (EEP) to expand
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trade and enter new markets.
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* Act swiftly to level the playing field in
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international trade when foreign competitors
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use export subsidies to gain an unfair
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advantage over American farmers -- instead of
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sitting idly by as the Bush Administration has
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done.
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* Remove unfair trade barriers through tough
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negotiation with our trading partners to pry
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open closed markets, including the support of
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reciprocal retaliation against the European
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Community unless the E.C. removes its ban on
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U.S. pork.
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Protecting our environment
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* Include farmers in the national debate on
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environmental policy -- because farmers and
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ranchers are among the best stewards of the
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land; they pay taxes and bank notes on their
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land and they ought to have a say in what is
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done with it.
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* Ensure that environmental decisions are based
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on sound scientific data, not politics, and
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that Americas farmers do not carry the costs
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of environmental protection alone.
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Expand food aid
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* Expand food aid overseas to assist emerging
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democracies and developing nations.
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* Increase funding for the Food for Peace
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program.
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Research, development, and new ideas
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* Provide American leadership in world
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agriculture through modernization and
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development of current farm programs, and
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expansion of agriculture research and
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development.
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* Bring existing farm programs into the
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communications age by equipping federal
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agriculture offices with the most modern
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communications and computer equipment
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available.
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* Consolidate forms and processes to cut down on
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wasted time and delays.
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* Utilize federal research funds to improve
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cooperation among farmers and between states
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in the same region.
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A department for agriculture
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* Give American farmers a friend and advocate at
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the USDA by appointing a Secretary of
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Agriculture who is respected by American
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farmers and who will work tirelessly on their
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behalf. The USDA must be a department for
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agriculture, not an annex to the Office of
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Management and Budget or the State Department.
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THE RECORD
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* Bill Clinton made numerous trade missions to
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Europe and Japan to negotiate open markets for
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Arkansas products.
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* Created the Division of Agriculture
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Development to work closely with farmers and
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relay their concerns to the Governors office.
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* Developed the Farm Mediation Program to assist
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farmers and lenders in finding solutions to
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debt payment problems.
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* Created the Arkansas Linked Deposit Program,
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which provides a new source of agricultural
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and small business loans by allowing up to $50
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million of state funds in lending institutions
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to be loaned at lower-than-market rates.
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* Aggressively addressed brucellosis, resulting
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in a reduction by herd count of over 92% from
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1983 to 1991, moving Arkansas from Class C to
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Class A.
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* Established the Small Business Revolving Loan
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Fund to provide loans to small and minority
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businesses primarily in rural areas.
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* Established the Revolving Loan Fund for
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Expansion of Fruit and Vegetable Cooperatives
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to provide loans in rural areas to assist
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agricultural co-ops in marketing their
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produce.
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* Implemented the Beginning Farmer Loan Program,
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a tax-exempt bond program that assists farmers
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in acquiring agricultural land at low interest
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rates by enabling lending institutions,
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individuals, partnerships and corporations to
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receive tax-exempt interest for direct loans
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or contract sales made to new farmers.
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* Led a bipartisan effort to strengthen farm
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finance through measures designed to refinance
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the debts of productive farms as a meber of
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the National Governors Association (NGA)
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Agriculture Committee.
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* Served on the NGA Task Force on Rural
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Development, which issued strong, practical
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recommendations to revitalize rural
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communities.
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* Senator Gore grew up on a farm in Carthage,
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Tennessee, and now owns a farm in Carthage.
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* Consistently supported the family farmer and
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helped protect basic farm income.
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* Fought for an Agriculture program that helps
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agriculture producers move toward a profitable
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and sustainable production system.
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* Fought to provide adequate funding for
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conservation programs requiring the nation's
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farmers to meet numerous standards for
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protection of soil and water resources.
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* Cosponsored a 1987 act to reform and improve
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the Farm Credit System.
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* Led efforts to provide disaster relief to
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farmers suffering from drought and flooding.
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* Aggressively insisted that U.S. negotiators
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focus on trade fairness and opening new
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markets for American agricultural products.
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* Coauthored legislation to reduce access
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charges for residential and small business
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telephone rate payers and increase support for
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rural companies.
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