Opening Statements

Good morning everyone.  As you all know, we have a hearing with the CFTC Chairman coming up in a few minutes, so I will keep my comments brief.

The Committee’s budget views and estimates letter that we are considering this morning respectfully requests that the Budget Committee give careful consideration to the significant contributions toward deficit reduction made by the Committee on Agriculture with the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill and the substantial reforms these savings entailed.  As we discussed with Secretary Vilsack just yesterday, farm country is facing some troubled economic conditions, and regulatory burdens and trade and tax uncertainties are only making the situation worse.  We ask that the Budget Committee take these factors, as well as our Committee’s work ahead, into consideration when determining from which congressional committees and mission areas any future budget savings should come.