April 4, 2001 Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, the Senator from Texas makes a very interesting proposition. He said write a new farm bill and then decide on the budget. That has it exactly backwards. That is not how we do business. We decide on a budget; then we write a farm program. I also remind my colleagues that the amount of money being sought in the Johnson amendment is the amount of money we have had each of the last 3 years to cope with this farm crisis--the lowest prices in 75 years. That is the basis of the calculation of the need. The amendment of the Senator from Iowa restricts us to far less than we have had each of the last 3 years to meet this farm crisis. It is also true that our major competitors are outspending us 10 to 1 in support for their producers and are outspending us 30 to 1 in export assistance. It is no wonder our farmers do not have a level playing field. Finally, the Grassley amendment raids the Medicare trust fund to support the additional resources for agriculture. That is a mistake.