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415892658
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Edward D. Madigan Swearing-in, [3/7/91]
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415892658
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Edward D. Madigan Swearing-in, [3/7/91]
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13895-012
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Tony Snow Subject Files
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Snow, Tony, Files
Subseries:
Subject File, 1988-1993
OA/ID Number:
13895
Folder ID Number:
13895-012
Folder Title:
Edward D. Madigan Swearing-in, [3/7/91]
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G
18
29
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PROPOSED TALKING POINTS FOR THE PRESIDENT
AT THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE EDWARD R. MADIGAN
0
We are gathered here today for the swearing-in of our next Secretary of
Agriculture, Ed Madigan. American agriculture faces many challenges in
the years ahead and I know it will be in good hands with Ed Madigan at
the helm.
0
In considering Ed, several ideas seem to stand out: They are honor,
knowledge, and foresight. Anyone who knows Ed well will tell you that his
word is his bond. If he tells you something's going to be a certain way,
then that's the way it's going to be. You can count on it. And I know our
farmers put a lot of stock in honesty and integrity. That's one of the
reasons I picked him.
o
The second reason is his knowledge of the complex issues in American
agriculture today. Ed has spent 16 of his 18 years in Congress on the
Agriculture Committee -- eight as ranking Republican. In that time, he has
worked on five farm bills and important dairy legislation, which comes to
about one major piece of farm legislation every three years. All of that
makes him one of the most knowledgeable people in this country when it
comes to agriculture.
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2
0
And perhaps most importantly, Ed has the foresight and the vision to lead
American agriculture into the next century. He knows where we need to
go in the areas of trade, in helping American farmers become better able
to take advantage of market opportunities, in opening up new markets for
our agricultural products, in pursuing alternative and cleaner fuels such as
ethanol, and in doing our part to preserve and protect the environment. In
all of these things Ed has shown great leadership.
o
I'm sure everyone here is familiar with his outstanding tenure as a member
of Congress. He has had a tremendous impact on the shaping of public
policy. The list of things he has accomplished just in the past year is truly,
truly impressive -- helping to fashion the 1990 Farm Bill, a complex piece
of legislation that gives farmers more flexibility in their planting decisions,
and which helps to open up new markets, and which make farmers -- at an
unprecedented level -- partners in safeguarding our precious environment.
0
He has led efforts to provide a safety net for farm income and to expand
export markets. He has fought for and participated in legislation to
stabilize the Rural Electrification Administration revolving fund; to give
the Farmers Home Administration more flexibility to work with farmers in
financial difficulty; to provide incentives for conservation practices in
cultivation; and to distribute excess commodities to charitable organizations
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for dispensing to the needy.
0
He was ranking Republican member of the Agriculture Committee, which
has jurisdiction over our diverse agricultural programs, and considers
legislation dealing with food safety, land grant colleges, many foreign trade
programs, food stamps, food labeling, and much more. In short, his
experience in all of these areas is vast. That's why I know we can count on
him to do a great job as Secretary of Agriculture.
0
As a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Ed
Madigan has shaped numerous legislative initiatives that have helped
farmers in many different ways. For instance, the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990 included Madigan-sponsored provisions that
encourage the use of alternative fuels, such as ethanol, which can be made
from corn. These provisions will create an expanded market of at least 750
million gallons of ethanol annually by the year 1995. That's an additional
300 million bushels of corn!
0
In Congress, he has represented the 15th Congressional District in Illinois,
which encompasses some of the nation's most fertile farm country. Before
that he served three terms in the Illinois House of Representatives. In the
area where he grew up, agriculture is the economy. The local paper does
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not have a business page; it has a farm page.
O
Ed grew up watching farmers struggle during bad times and keep their
fingers crossed in good times. He learned to appreciate their hard work
and knew at an early age that farming can be a very risky business.
O
Most of all, he learned that American agriculture is a modern miracle and
that America's farmers are the most productive in the world. They have
overcome adversity, year after year, through drought and natural disaster,
to bring forth a bounty from the land. He knows that through it all, they
have never lost that pioneering spirit, that solid sense of self-reliance that
is the hallmark of the American farmer.
O
Still, he knows that no matter how self-reliant our farmers are, they are in
no position as individuals to compete against the treasuries of foreign
governments, or deal with, for instance, the fifth year of a drought. So he
is well aware that there is and will continue to be a legitimate role for
government as we work in partnership with America's farmers to insure a
safe, abundant and affordable food supply.
O
The time has come to insist that our farmers and ranchers have access to
the agricultural markets of the world, and that they be allowed to compete
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5
on a fair and equitable basis with other exporting nations. Those are our
goals in the Uruguay Round of the Multilateral trade talks recently
resumed in Geneva.
He'll be working closely with our Trade Representative Carla Hills to
make sure our objectives in agriculture are achieved at the crucial GATT
negotiations. And as you know, agriculture is central to these very
important trade talks. We're working to level the playing field for
America's farmers, to provide greater economic growth and prosperity, and
this Administration is committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve it!
o
Having helped to write the 1990 Farm Bill, he is well prepared for the
sheer volume of work that will be required to implement the new farm
legislation. Much of that work has already been undertaken, but a
considerable portion remains.
He believes that it is very important to focus on minimizing the regulatory
and paperwork burden on farmers to the greatest extent possible. Ed is
well aware that reducing complexity and simplifying farm program details
will be a significant benefit to our farmers.
0
When it comes to protecting the environment, he believes that the
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Secretary of Agriculture should be the voice of the farmer, seeking to find
the proper balance between environmental goals and the dietary needs of
our people.
0
Along the way, Ed has received numerous honors in his years of service to
this country. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
degree by Lincoln College in Illinois. And both James Millikin University
and Illinois Wesleyan University have conferred Honorary Doctor of Laws
degrees. In the process, he and his beautiful wife, Evelyn, have raised
three fine daughters.
0
Ed has provided great leadership in the Congress, and I know he'll supply
the leadership and the vision necessary to take this Department into the
next Century. He sees the future of agriculture, not as a stagnant
economic sector reliant on the government for a handout, but as a
powerful engine of economic growth.
o
Most importantly, Ed has always been the farmers' best friend. And
America can consider itself very lucky that we have a man of this caliber to
lead the Department of Agriculture. Now, the oath of office.
*
*
*
Eric Kasum/first draft/03-07-91/9:27am