Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy At Rally For Dairy Compact Legislation On Capitol Hill Today, With Vermont Agriculture Commissioner Leon Graves, Vermont Farmers and Several Hundred Other

September 15, 1999

"Thank you all for showing your support for dairy compacts -- this is how Congress should work.

"The states came forward with a great idea: 25 state legislatures and 25 governors with strong support from mayors, consumers and farmers want to join a dairy compact to keep dairy farmers in business and to provide consumers with fresh, local supplies of milk. Congress should get out of the way and ratify these compacts proposed to the Congress by the states. These states recognized that providing a modest safety net for farmers keeps farmers in business and helps keep consumer prices low.

"The Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact has done exactly what it was established to do: stabilize fluctuating dairy prices, ensure a fair price for dairy farmers, keep them in business, and protect consumers' supplies of fresh milk.

"Many of our friends in the South have seen how our dairy compact provides a modest but crucial safety net for struggling farmers. They, too, want the same for their farmers, and their farmers deserve that same opportunity. Congress should not stand in the way of these state initiatives that protect farmers and consumers without costing taxpayers a penny.

"Compacts have been consumer tested and farmer approved. They deserve the support of Congress, and we will leave no legislative stone unturned in our efforts to get the job done."