Question: It seems every year we hear about American grain surpluses and the intentional destruction of good grain. With so many developing nations facing food crises and many people starving, couldn't that surplus be shipped where it is needed?
Submitted from Lynn of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin through PBS Online (10/19/00)
Answer from George W. Bush:
Governor Bush: Help Farmers Help Impoverished Nations
Yes, Lynn, I agree. I support P.L. 480 and similar programs...
...that allow the U.S. government to purchase surplus grain and other commodities and donate them to underdeveloped and third world countries.
With 96 percent of the world's population living outside of the United States, I recognize the tremendous opportunity for our farm sector in feeding the world's population. But this depends on expanding markets overseas. The Clinton-Gore Administration is the first in 25 years to fail to obtain Presidential trade negotiating authority, thus hobbling its ability to lead new market-opening initiatives. I will work with Congress to restore this authority and reassert U.S. leadership on trade.
I believe that unilateral trade sanctions are rarely effective in achieving their foreign policy goals. If sanctions are used, they should be directed at the offending government, not innocent populations, and food and medicine should be exempt from any new unilateral sanctions.
Farming is part of America's heritage. America's farmers are independent, hard working, entrepreneurial, with faith in their families, their labor, and their land. In this downturn in the farm economy, we must provide farmers with the means to weather change. And we must fight hard to expand existing export markets - and pry open new ones -- to fuel the future growth of the farm economy.
| 
Today's Rolling Cyber Debate Question for George W. Bush
copyright © 1998 - 2002 Markle Foundation | Online presence by mindshare Internet Campaigns LLC.