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I thought maybe, since we've been discussing issues and the organization of your Congressional activity, that maybe if you could outline the committee assignments you have received since you've been in the Congress and perhaps evaluate those, how valuable they were relative to your own constituency and also the broader city where you've run for mayor -- and also you might point out those that were really of no value at all.

When I first came down to Washington, I was put on what I considered to be an atrocious committee. It was Science and Astronautics, and it related basically to the space program, and I really did not have the interest in it. But I believe that there was no way of protesting. There were people who did protest. For example, Shirley Chisholm, who got onto the Agriculture Committee, protested -- and it was dumb on her part. The Agriculture Committee happens to be very important to the urban dwellers of the country and in particular to the poor blacks who live in cities because they deal with prices.

And what about the food stamp program also?