Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 13, 2004)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 710 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the further consideration of the bill, H.R. 4766.

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Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I would like to extend my remarks on the record. The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) certainly is correct. This does not control smoking. I rise in opposition to this amendment.

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I thank the Chairman and rise in strong opposition to this amendment that has the potential to devastate the rural tobacco farmers in Tennessee's Fourth Congressional District, which I have the privilege to represent.

Our great country got its first start, and in fact, market edge in the global economy thanks to tobacco growers. Tobacco was America's first true international cash crop, and helped establish America as the best agriculture country in the world at a time when the early settlers were struggling for survival. Unfortunately, in the last five years, we have seen quota cut by more than 50 percent, which has drastically decreased tobacco income and devastated our small farmers and growing communities. It is absolutely wrong that our tobacco farmers are being unfairly handicapped by the last remaining depression-era quota system and the availability of cheap farm labor in countries like Brazil and Turkey. Given this reality, it made perfect sense to vote on a Tobacco Buyout Provision in a bill that dealt directly with international business and markets.

I am also confused by the arguments that this will not help small farmers. The facts show otherwise. The average buyout payment, averaged over all 436,719 eligible individuals, is less than $4,400 per year. The average quota owner now only owns about 2,000 pounds of quota. The average acreage among all U.S. tobacco farms is only 7.5 acres. In my State of Tennessee the average tobacco farm is 4.4 acres. I wish it was more. I wish my small, rural farmers had more acreage, and more quota, and could still survive growing what was once the most valuable crop in the country, but because of the current system they can't.

Finally, the tobacco buyout is about creating new economic opportunities for communities that have been devastated by the quota system. 39,500 farming jobs have been lost due to changes in the tobacco sector. This buyout provision would bring $2.7 billion per year in additional economic activity to the six major tobacco states, and would create more than 26,000 new jobs. With the $65 million in total buyout payments for my constituents, we would see a net change in economic activity in my district roughly equal to $85 million. This is why I supported the tobacco buyout, and this is why I must strongly oppose this amendment.

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