SENATE WITH OTHER COLLEAGUES AN AMENDMENT THAT WILL REALLY MAKE
           A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF FAMILY FARMERS IN MY STATE. MR.
           PRESIDENT, WE HAVE AN ECONOMIC CONVULSION IN AGRICULTURE, AND
           THERE IS TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC PAIN IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES, AND
           MANY FARMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE JUST LEAVING THEIR FARMS

           NOW, THEY'RE DOING IT QUIETLY. IT'S NOT SO MUCH LIKE THE
           MID-1980'S WHERE YOU REALLY SAW A LOT OF FARM RALLIES AND
           MARCHES AND WHAT NOT. THAT MAY HAPPEN. THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN. I
           DON'T KNOW. I KNOW THAT WHEN I GO TO FARM GATHERINGS, WHETHER
           IT BE IN FOD D--- FOLDEN, MINNESOTA OR GRANITE FALLS,
           MINNESOTA, IT'S QUITE UNBELIEVABLE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT

           COME AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT WITH FARMERS NOW
           RECEIVING SOMEWHERE LIKE $1.42 FOR A BUSHEL OF CORN, THERE'S
           JUST SIMPLY NO WAY -- OR, $2.50 FOR A BUSHEL OF WHEAT -- THEY
           CAN'T CASH-FLOW THIS. MY COLLEAGUE, PRESIDING OFFICER, FRIEND,
           HE KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT THESE ISSUES. YOU CAN BE THE BEST
           MANAGER OF THE WORLD. YOU CAN'T MAKE IT. AND IF YOU'RE NOT A
           HUGE CONGLOMERATE AND YOU HAVE MORE OF A FAMILY FARM OPERATION,

           WHICH, YOU KNOW, REAL LE RANGES IN TERMS OF -- WHICH, YOU KNOW,
           REALLY RANGES IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF ACRES OF LAND. THE PEOPLE
           WHO WORK THE LAND, THEY LIVE THERE. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT
           ARE IN THE MOST TROUBLE. AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE FROM THE
           MIDWEST, IN A WAY, I APPROACH THIS DEBATE WITH A SENSE OF
           HISTORY BECAUSE I THINK IN MANY WAYS THIS IS SORT OF ONE OF THE
           LAST REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU HAVE A FAMILY FARM
           STRUCTURE OF AGRICULTURE. NOW, MR. PRESIDENT, WHAT I JUST WANT

           TO SAY TO COLLEAGUES, UNDERSTANDING FULL WELL I WON'T BE ABLE
           TO DO THIS ON THE BANKRUPTCY BILL --, ALTHOUGH I MUST SAY TO MY
           COLLEAGUE FROM IOWA, A VERY GOOD FRIEND, THAT THERE IS A DIRECT
           -- UNFORTUNATELY, A VERY DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN WHOSE
           HAPPENING, AS HE WELL KNOWS, TO FAMILY FARMERS IN OUR STATE.
           OUR STATE IS IN BANKRUPTCY. IF WE CAN'T DO THIS AMENDMENT THAT
           WILL MAKE -- THAT'LL SPEAK TO THE FARM CRISIS ON THE BANKRUPTCY
           BILL, THEN THE VERY NEXT VEHICLE THAT COMES TO THE FLOOR, THE

           VERY NEXT BILL WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE AN AMENDMENT OUT
           HERE. NOW, WE MAY HAVE SOME DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO
           HAPPEN, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE AMENDMENT THAT I SEE THAT
           MUST BE BROUGHT TO THE FLOOR FIRST AND FOREMOST IS, WE'RE GOING
           TO HAVE TO REMOVE THE CAPS ON THE MARKET ASSISTED LOANS. WE CAN
           DO OTHER THINGS AS WELL AND ALLOW A SIX-MONTH LOAN EXTENSION. I
           MEAN, CORN RIGHT NOW IS CAPPED AT $1.89 A BUSHEL. THIS WOULD
           GET IT UP TO $2.20 OR $2.256789 WHEAT IS CAPPED AND IT WOULD

           GET UP TO $3.20. THIS WOULD BE THE SINGS L-MOST IMPORTANT THING
           WE COULD DO. ALONG WITH PROVIDING THE INDEMNITY PAYMENT THAT
           WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT. WE PASSED THIS BEFORE WE WENT ON
           RECESS. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE MORE BY WAY OF FINANCIAL
           ASSISTANCE GIVEN WHAT'S HAPPENING TO A LOT OF FARMERS IN THE
           SOUTH AS WELL, BECAUSE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS. AND OUR STATE,
           NORTHWEST MINNESOTA, IT'S ALSO SCAB DISEASE. BUT WE HAVE TO DO
           THOSE TWO THINGS. NOW, MR. PRESIDENT, I JUST WANT TO SAY TO

           COLLEAGUES THAT I DON'T FEEL LIKE TIME IS NEUTRAL, AND IN MANY
           WAYS I JUST FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS A SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA, I
           JUST FEEL LIKE I'M CONFRONTED WITH THE URGENCY OF NOW, AND I'M
           TRYING TO SAY TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HERE AS A SENATOR
           SENATOR. WHAT IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO?
           AND WE HAVE A BANKRUPTCY BILL. WE CAN'T PUT THIS AMENDMENT ON
           THE BANKRUPTCY BILL. BUT THE NEXT BILL THAT COMES TO THE FLOOR
           NEXT WEEK OR THE END OF THIS WEEK, WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT HERE

           WITH AN AMENDMENT THAT SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THIS FARM CRISIS. WE
           HAVE TO. I MEAN, IT WOULD BE LIKE NOT BEING A SENATOR FROM YOUR
           STATE TO NOT DO THIS. AND I THINK EVERY SENATOR ON -- IN THIS
           FLOOR, DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN, UNDERSTANDS THIS. I HOPE THAT
           WE WILL HAVE THIS AMENDMENT ON THE FLOOR NO LATER THAN THE
           BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK, IF NOT TOMORROW. ALTHOUGH I'M NOT QUITE
           SURE HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED ON THIS BANKRUPTCY BILL. AND IF

           NOT THAT, THERE'LL COME A POINT IN TIME WHERE PROBABLY THE BEST
           THING I CAN DO, IF JUST COMPLETELY SHUT OUT -- AND I HOPE THIS
           WON'T HAPPEN -- WILL BE JUST TO COME TO THE FLOOR AND
           FILIBUSTER, JUST BASICALLY STOP EVERYTHING. I DON'T THINK THAT
           WILL HAPPEN, BUT THERE'S NO WAY -- THERE'S NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT
           I CAN GO BACK HOME TO THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND, YOU KNOW,
           LOOK AT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE EYES THAT I REALLY LOVE AND
           BELIEVE IN WITHOUT HAVING MADE AN ALL-OUT FIGHT. WE HAVE ONLY,

           WHAT, THREE WEEKS LEFT?
           SO MY APPEAL TO COLLEAGUES IS, LOOK. IT'S GETTING HARD, YOU
           KNOW, BY WAY -- IT'S GETTING HARD TO FIND THE TIME TO DO SOME
           OF WHAT WE THINK ARE OUR PRIORITIES. I WANTED TO SEE US OUT
           HERE ON THE FLOOR WITH THIS AMENDMENT TODAY. THEALS NOT GOING
           TO BE POSSIBLE, AS WE TRY TO WORK OUT SOMETHING ON THE
           BANKRUPTCY BILL. IT'S A BITTER IRONY FOR ME TO SEE "BANKRUPTCY
           BILL." MY GOSH, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MY STATE. THAT'S

           WHAT'S HAPPENING ALL ACROSS GREATER MINNESOTA RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE
           CAN'T MAKE IT. CAN'T DO THE AMENDMENT ON THE BANKRUPTCY BILL.
           BUT WHATEVER THE NEXT BILL IS, I GUESS AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT
           WEEK, HAVE THIS AMENDMENT OUT HERE. I KNOW THAT SENATOR DASCHLE
           FROM SOUTH DAKOTA -- I KNOW HOW STRONGLY HE FEELS ABOUT THIS.
           THIS IS HIS STATE -- AGRICULTURE. THERE ARE OTHER SENATORS FROM
           THE MIDWEST WHO FEEL JUST AS STRONGLY. DEMOCRATS AND

           REPUBLICANS. BUT, I JUST WANT TO SAY TO MINNESOTA AND TO MY
           COLLEAGUES, THERE'S NO WAY IN THE WORLD THAT I CAN SEE US
           ADJOURNING WITHOUT TAKING ACTION. THERE'S JUST NO WAY. IT WOULD
           BE JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO GO BACK INTO GRAIRTED MINNESOTA AND TO
           MEET WITH PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES AND SAY, WELL, WE HAD TOO BUSY
           A SCHEDULE. YOU KNOW, IT WAS TOO DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO FIND A
           "VEHICLE." NO ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU TALK

           ABOUT "VEHICLE." I SAID IT FIVE MINUTES AGO. "WE'RE LOOK FOR A
           VEHICLE." NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS. BUT JUST TO TRY TO SAY
           TO MEEM IN MINNESOTA, WE ONLY HAD A FEW WEEKS AND THERE WAS TOO
           BUSY A SCHEDULE AND THERE WERE MANY IMPORTANT APPROPRIATIONS
           BILLS AND OTHER NWAILS HAD TO PASS AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO FIND
           THE TIME. I MEAN, PEOPLE WOULD SAY, AREN'T WE A PRIORITY?
           THEY'D SAY, PAUL! I MEAN, AREN'T WE A PRIORITY?
           $1.40 FOR A BUSHEL OF CORN?

           $2.50, $2.60 FOR A BUSHEL OF WHEAT?
           WHAT ABOUT US?
           WHAT ABOUT OUR CHILDREN?
           WHAT ABOUT OUR FAMILIES?
           WHAT ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES. SO AGAIN, REMOVE THE CAPS ON THE
           MARKET-ASSISTED LOANS AND ALLOW A SIX-MONTH LOAN EXTENSION.
           YOU'VE GOT TO GET THE PRICE UP. IT'S PRICE, PRICE, PRICE. THERE
           IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GETTING THE PRICE UP. AND, YOU KNOW, WE
           CAN DEBATE THIS. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO HAVE AN ACRIMONIOUS

           DEBATE. THOSE THAT THOUGHT THAT THE FREEDOM TO FARPBLGS WHICH I
           ALWAYS FAILED THE FREEDOM-TO-FAIL BILL, CALL IT A MODIFICATION.
           JUST A MOD IFIKS. WE JUST CAPPED THE LOAN RATE AT A VERY LOW
           LEVEL. CALL IT PART OF WHAT WE DO BY WAY OF DISASTER RELIEF. BY
           WAY OF EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. THIS
           IS A AS DOES TER, THE RECORD-LOW PRICES ARE A DISASTER, AND IT

           IS AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
           CONTINUE TO STAY IN THEIR FARMS. AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR
           IN MINNESOTA, IN MY STATE, IS NOT SORT OF ANYTHING MORE THAN A
           FAIR SHAKE. THEY'RE JUST SAYING, GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE
           A DECENT PRICE IN THE MARKETPLACE. LET ME TELL YOU, THE GRAIN
           COMPANIES WILL DO JUST FINE. BUT THESE FAMILY FARMERS WON'T

           WON'T. AND THIS FREEDOM-TO-FAIL BILL HAS BEEN DISASTER IN AND
           OF ITSELF, AND WE HAVE TO AT LEAST COME BACK AND HAVE SOME KIND
           OF MODIFICATION AND SOME KIND OF SAFETY NET AND SOME KIND OF
           WAY THAT FARMERS CAN GET A BETTER PRICE. AND WE ALSO HAVE TO
           MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THESE INDEMNITY PAYMENTS OUT TO PEOPLE.
           PEOPLE NEED THE CASH ASSISTANCE SO THEY CAN KEEP GOING ON. NOW,
           MR. PRESIDENT, THOSE ARE THE TWO MAJOR PROVISIONS. THERE WILL

           BE OTHER PROVISIONS AS WELL. IN AN AMENDMENT WE'LL BRING TO THE
           FLOOR. BUT I CAN'T SEE ANY WAY TO POSTPONE ACTION ON AN
           AGRICULTURE FARM CRISIS RELIEF AMENDMENT ANY LONGER. WE HAVE
           BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS THIS. EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
           WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE ELECTORAL, YOU KNOW, CONNECTIONS?
           I MEAN, HOW IS THIS GOING TO FIT INTO THE ELECTIONS?
           AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. I TELL YOU, I THINK THOSE OF US FROM

           THESE STATES, I DON'T THINK WE FEEL THAT WAY. WE HAVE TO GET
           SOMETHING DONE. AND I DON'T THINK ANY PROPOSAL IS CREDIBLE
           UNLESS YOU CAN GET THE PRICE UP. IT ALL STARTS WITH GETTING THE
           PRICE UP. FOR FAMILY FARMERS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT
           GOING ON HERE IN WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW -- I GUESS. I MEAN, YOU
           KNOW, NONE OF IT SHOULD SORT OF MAKE ANYBODY HERE, REGARDLESS

           OF PARTY, ALL THAT HAPPY OR ALL THAT PLEASED. BUT I CAN SAY
           WITHOUT ANY EXAGGERATION WHATSOEVER, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT IN
           FOLDON, MINNESOTA, OR GRANITE FALL, MINNESOTA, OR IN CRUXTON,
           MINNESOTA OR OTHER COMMUNITIES IN MINNESOTA WAR LOT OF
           WONDERFUL PEOPLE LIVE, WHO WORK SO HARXD FOR THEM, REFOCUS --
           THE FOCUS IS ON BEING ABLE TO STAY ON THEIR FAMILY FARM. THE

           FOE CAMPUS IS WHETHER OR NOT THE UNITED STATES SENATE AND THE
           HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS GOING TO RESPOND TO THEIR PAIN,
           WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME RELIEF,
           WLRNTS WE'RE GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS -- WHETHER OR NOT
           WE'RE GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS CRISIS. IT CAN'T BE DONE
           IN INDIANA OR IN MINNESOTA AT THE STATE LEVEL. I MEAN, YOU
           CAN'T AFFECT PRICE AT A STATE LEVEL?
           YOU CAN PUT TOGETHER AT A STATE LEVEL SOME CREDIT RELIEF
           PACKAGES, BUT YOU CAN'T AFFECT THE PRICE. YOU HAVE GOT TO

           REMOVE THE CAP ON THE LOAN RATE. YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE THESE
           PEOPLE A CHANCE. TO GET A DECENT PRICE IN THE MARKETPLACE. YOU
           HAVE TO DO THAT. FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT. WE
           CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER. SO, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT MY WORDS
           TONIGHT ARE SO MUCH SORT OF TALKING ABOUT SUBSTANTIVELY WHAT
           ANY NUMBER OF US ARE GOING TO BRING OUT AS AN AMENDMENT. A LOT
           OF MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE MIDWEST I KNOW ARE GOING TO BE OUT

           HERE WITH THIS AMENDMENT, LED BY SENATOR DASCHLE. OR WHETHER
           WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT, LOOK, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE
           PEOPLE ANGRY AT ME NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTERWARDS. BUT I'LL
           TELL YOU, IF WE DON'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRI THIS AMENDMENT
           AND PUT THIS AMENDMENT ON A PIECE OF LEGISLATION, THEN I'M JUST
           GOING TO COME OUT HEERDZ AND TALK FOR HOURS AND HOURS AND
           HOURS. I'LL JUST START TALKING ABOUT FAMILIES AND I'LL START
           TRANSLATING THIS INTO HUMAN TERMS. I'VE DONE IT BEFORE ON THE
           FLOOR OF THE SENATE, AND THERE IS NO ISSUE I FEEL MORE STRONGLY

           ABOUT. I DON'T REPEALLY CARE HOW MUCH IS SWIRLING AROUND
           WASHINGTON, D.C., AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF THAT PEOPLE ARE
           GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT, ALL OF WHICH I KNOW HAS TO BE
           DISCUSSED AND TALKED ABOUT, I GUESS, UP TO A POINT, THOUGH I
           THINK WE OUGHT TO BE PRUDENT, AND I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO SORT
           OF -- ULTIMATELY, WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME DECISION
           ABOUT THIS SO WE OUGHT TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE FACTS R BUT
           I'LL TELL YOU THIS, RIGHT NOW FOR ME, THIS IS THE ISSUE. THIS

           IS "THE" ISSUE. THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ALL ACROSS
           MINNESOTA -- AND I AM -- I'M NOT JUST SAYING IT TO GIVE A
           SPEECH. IT'S JUST TRUE. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FUTURE FOR
           THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES, UNLESS WE TAKE SOME ACTION.
           WE'RE GOING 0 HAVE TO DO THAT. I FEEL STIM IMMEDIATE THAT WE
           CAN'T DO IT ON THE BANKRUPTCY -- I FEEL STYMIED THAT WE CAN'T
           DO IT ON THE BANKRUPTCY BILL. SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A REAL
           CORRECTION BETWEEN RECORD-LOW PRICES AND BANKRUPTCY. BUT IF NOT

           THIS BILL, IF NOT TONIGHT, IF NOT FRIDAY, THEN NEXT WEEK WE
           BRING THIS AMENDMENT TO THE FLOORED AND WE HAVE A DEBATE AND
           WE'RE GOING TO PASS A FARM CRISIS RELIEF AMENDMENT, AND THEN
           WE'RE GOING TO GET IT THROUGH THE HOUSE, AND THE HOUSE AND THE
           SENATE ARE GOING TO AGREE, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A
{END: 1998/09/10 TIME: 18-00 , Thu.  105TH SENATE, SECOND SESSION}