News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

February 4, 2004

                                       Contact: Sara Lang
                                       Phone: (202) 225-4531

Etheridge: Speaker Holding Farmers, Buyout Hostage

WASHINGTON - Amid published reports that U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) told Kentucky tobacco farmers that he would push a tobacco buyout through Congress only if a Republican is elected to represent that state's 6th District congressional seat, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) today condemned the Republican Speaker for playing politics with the buyout and endangering the futures of thousands of North Carolina farm families.

"No matter who wins the election in Kentucky, we need a buyout because it will give our farm families a chance to survive and inject hope into our rural communities," Etheridge said. "I am pleased the Speaker has finally acknowledged the plight of North Carolina's farmers, and I hope he will honor his commitment to the buyout for their futures, not for political purposes."

Hastert's comments were reported in the Lexington (KY) Herald-Ledger under the headline, "But, He Says, Only If Kerr Is Elected to Congress." The first sentence states, "U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert pledged for the first time yesterday that he would push a tobacco buyout plan to the House floor - but only if Republican Alice Forgy Kerr is elected to Congress." The entire article is available at http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/7869550.htm

Hastert made the comments at a Kentucky fundraiser for Kerr, who is running for the congressional seat vacated by newly elected Governor Ernie Fletcher. The special election will be held February 17th.

Etheridge has written to both Hastert and the President repeatedly on behalf of North Carolina's 18,000 tobacco farm families and 95,000 tobacco quota holders to urge consideration tobacco buyout legislation. He has worked across party lines, including with Fletcher, to forge consensus buyout legislation.

Because of declining tobacco leaf purchases from tobacco companies, the federal government has reduced tobacco quotas by more than 50 percent since 1997, cutting in half the incomes of both tobacco growers and quota holders. A tobacco buyout would reform the current tobacco quota system, compensating tobacco quota holders for the elimination of quota, assisting tobacco farmers with the transition and injecting nearly $6 billion into rural North Carolina's economy.

   
   
   
   

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