March 21, 1978
Page 7782
Mr. TALMADGE. Mr. President, I have examined the amendment, and so has the staff, and I have discussed it with Senator DOLE. It merely mandates the objectives of the bill and directs the Secretary to accomplish them — that is, a price of $3.50 a bushel for wheat, $2.50 a bushel for corn, 60 cents a pound for cotton, and $6 a bushel for soybeans. Those would be the floors and not the maximums, of course.
I am prepared to urge the Senate to accept the amendment.
Mr. MUSKIE. Before the Senator does that, I should like a question.
As I understand the Eagleton amendment, by putting in prices to be achieved as a result of the set aside program, this result could follow, and I put it in the form of a question, either to the sponsor or the floor manager: If the set aside does not have the effect of achieving the price level named in the Senator's. amendment, then presumably the Secretary would have to find additional acreage to set aside, until the price level is achieved.
Mr. TALMADGE. That would be one. He could put more in reserve, or he could lower the level.
Mr. EAGLETON. I might add, in response to the distinguished Senator from Maine, that the way the amendment is worded, the Secretary can use any method he desires to achieve the price. He does not have to use set aside. He can use other alternatives that are within his executive authority. It does not per se mandate that there must be a set aside greater than the 31 million acres Senator TALMADGE has included in his bill in order to achieve the stated prices.
Mr. MUSKIE. The effect is to assure that prices rise as mentioned in the Senator's amendment.
Mr. EAGLETON. It is the desire that prices do rise to the level indicated in this amendment.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. EAGLETON. I yield.
Mr. DOLE. I share the views expressed by the chairman. I think it is a good amendment. What it does is to keep the pressure where the pressure should be applied. From that standpoint, with the upward pressure to achieve the goals set forth in the amendment, it will be helpful to the Secretary of Agriculture. I am not suggesting that he needs pressure, but I think this will be something to point at and say, "This is the law." I think it is a good amendment.