Tough words from Rep. Mahoney
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By Amie Parnes
Posted at 11:14 AM on July 27, 2007
Speaking about the Farm Bill, Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, made the following remarks today on the House floor:
Madame Speaker;
As a freshman member of this congress and someone who never help political office, I came to Washington determined to change the culture of the august body. I believed that we could work together and in doing so put the interests of the American people over the political interests of party or the special interests of powerful lobbyists.
Just a few days ago at a press conference, I proudly stood and thanked my Republican colleagues in supporting a bill that clearly was a victory for our growers and ranchers. It was a victory for the people of Okeechobee, Lake Placid, Moore Haven and Clewiston, Florida. It protected our environment and gave our children an opportunity to a bright future by staying home and farming. This bill gave Florida an opportunity to participate in the ethanol business giving some of the poorest areas of my state an opportunity to earn a living by making America free of foreign oil. And oh by the way – all of these benefits were being done without going further into debt.
This morning I awoke and found out that my Republican colleagues had changed their minds because the President of the United States again wanted to play politics. This is not about a tax increase, this is about politics. As a businessman, who for thirty years ran businesses around the world, I am incensed that my colleagues would hurt the American farmer by lying to the American people and calling closing a tax loophole for foreign companies that gave them an unfair advantage over our own businesses a tax increase!
But silly me why should I have been surprised they are the party of big business, of special interests of Halliburton and big oil.
Madame Speaker, the good news tonight is that my colleagues who vote against this farm bill will pay the price, because there is no smarter businessperson in America than a farmer, and they will see through this ridiculous political ploy and they will pay the price at the polls.
Posted at 11:14 AM on July 27, 2007
Speaking about the Farm Bill, Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, made the following remarks today on the House floor:
Madame Speaker;
As a freshman member of this congress and someone who never help political office, I came to Washington determined to change the culture of the august body. I believed that we could work together and in doing so put the interests of the American people over the political interests of party or the special interests of powerful lobbyists.
Just a few days ago at a press conference, I proudly stood and thanked my Republican colleagues in supporting a bill that clearly was a victory for our growers and ranchers. It was a victory for the people of Okeechobee, Lake Placid, Moore Haven and Clewiston, Florida. It protected our environment and gave our children an opportunity to a bright future by staying home and farming. This bill gave Florida an opportunity to participate in the ethanol business giving some of the poorest areas of my state an opportunity to earn a living by making America free of foreign oil. And oh by the way – all of these benefits were being done without going further into debt.
This morning I awoke and found out that my Republican colleagues had changed their minds because the President of the United States again wanted to play politics. This is not about a tax increase, this is about politics. As a businessman, who for thirty years ran businesses around the world, I am incensed that my colleagues would hurt the American farmer by lying to the American people and calling closing a tax loophole for foreign companies that gave them an unfair advantage over our own businesses a tax increase!
But silly me why should I have been surprised they are the party of big business, of special interests of Halliburton and big oil.
Madame Speaker, the good news tonight is that my colleagues who vote against this farm bill will pay the price, because there is no smarter businessperson in America than a farmer, and they will see through this ridiculous political ploy and they will pay the price at the polls.
