Combest:100 Democrats Needed

March 15, 2000

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) says 100 Democratic votes are needed in the House to pass permanent normal trade relations for China. Approval of the NTR measure is "critical" for agriculture.

In a speech Tuesday to the Commodity Club in Washington, Combest also said he supports the Republican budget proposal for $5 billion in fiscal 2001 for farmer assistance. However, he said he favors using the money to double the transition payments made to farmers under the 1996 farm law. That’s the only way to get the money quickly into farmers’ hands.

Crop insurance reform should be a relatively smooth process once the Senate approves its bill, says Combest. The House and Senate bills are similar in many ways, he says, and the conference committee that will have to work through the differences should not have a difficult task.

Farmers and the entire agriculture community need to be more pro-active in defending genetically modified crops and foods, Combest said. So far, agriculture has taken a reactive position, waiting for those who oppose GM foods to act, then taking a defensive posture.

Combest also reiterated his position on trade that if other countries insist on maintaining export subsidies, the United States should not unilaterally reduce its subsidy system. The United States should not get into "a bidding war" on subsidies but still make it clear to other countries that unless there is movement toward liberalization on their part, there will be none on the part of the United States.