Keith Ellison Quotes
We need a strong farm bill that gives assistance to farmers during times of drought, creates markets for local goods, protects our environment, and helps struggling families bridge the gap between hard times and a full dinner table.
Ellison, Keith. "Statement on the Farm Bill." Congressional Record, U.S. House of Representatives, 2012.
The House had been debating an agricultural subsidy bill. Family farmers had in certain years not been able to sell their produce for the cost of growing it and subsidies made up the difference. But in this particular year, farm prices were very high and the agricultural subsidies were “welfare for the rich.” Farmers who earned over a million dollars in a great agricultural year would get “subsidies.” Typically members of Congress were either opposed to agricultural subsidies or opposed. Congressman Kind had a more nuanced view.
She advocates cutting out more of the middle men in the food chain and having the farmer earn more money. One difficulty with her idea is that the vast majority of farming today is done by large corporations who are already making a good deal of money and consumer groups do not want to further enrich these corporations at the expense of the consumer. However by buying directly from the small farmer who grows particularly good food, she can accomplish the objective on a small scale.
Keith Maurice Ellison is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th Attorney General of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district from 2007 to 2019. He also served as the titular Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018. In Congress, Ellison was a vice-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a Chief Deputy Whip. He also sat on the House Committee on Financial Services. Ellison was the first Muslim to be elected to Congress and the first African American representative from Minnesota.
