Grassley Comments on Administration Farm Bill Proposal
GRASSLEY COMMENTS ON ADMINISTRATION FARM BILL PROPOSAL
Senator Chuck Grassley today made the following comment after US Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns released the administration's proposed farm bill. Grassley is one of two working family farmers in the Senate and is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He has long been one of the most outspoken advocates in Congress for developing domestically produced alternative, renewable energy such as ethanol, biomass and wind energy. He also has been the leader to ensure that farm payments go to those who need it most. Grassley has also worked to address vertical integration in agriculture through legislation that would ban packer ownership of livestock and ban mandatory arbitration in contracts between packers and farmers.
Here is Grassley's comment.
"The Secretary laid out a very comprehensive plan for the 2007 farm bill. It's a good starting point for the debate in the Senate.
"I haven't gotten into the details, but the administration's effort to address the inequitable farm payments that are given out is a step in the right direction. It appears that they have the same philosophy as I do, but this is a new approach so we're going to have to see if it's workable.
"I was also happy to see they showed a commitment to developing agriculture-based renewable energy. The farm bill will be an excellent venue to develop and promote robust policies to foster home-grown renewable resources and the administration's proposal is a good starting point for our debate in the Senate.
"The administration also brought forward a reasonable approach to conservation by focusing on the land that needs the greatest environmental benefits. Farmers should be allowed to put the most sensitive land into conservation and be allowed to farm the good land.
"There were some very promising points made today, but I was disappointed that the Secretary didn't address concentration, which I believe is one of the most important issues facing agriculture today. I look forward to working on this and the rest of the farm bill issues in the upcoming months."
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