Conference Report on H.R. 2419, Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2419, FOOD, CONSERVATION, AND ENERGY ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - May 14, 2008)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007 and I congratulate the Committee on providing a bill that includes needed and critical reforms that improve access to food and nutrition, provide more equitable access to research funding and renew America's commitment to conservation.
This bill correctly focuses on the people who need the most help. In fact, nearly three-quarters of the bill will be directed to nutrition programs that will assist 38 million American families afford healthy food. It updates that Food Stamp program and increases funding for food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens.
I am particularly encouraged that the bill increases agricultural research funding for Historically Black Colleges. This is important because minority institutions are usually left out when it comes to Federal research funding. As an example, I point to a Government Accountability Office study conducted in 2003 which indicated that 1890 Land Grant institutions received less than 2 percent of the competitive funding available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This bill represents a step in the right direction.
The bill also provides for mandatory funding of the 2501 Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Outreach Program. This should
[Page: H3817]
help to slow the troubling trend of significant land loss by African American and other socially disadvantaged producers.
Additionally, the bill significantly boosts spending for conservation programs to reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water and air quality, increase wildlife habitat and reduce damage caused by floods and other natural disasters.
Of particular interest to my home State of North Carolina, fruit and vegetable producers will have their own place in the Farm Bill for the first time. The bill includes more than $1.3 billion to support research, pest management, trade promotion and nutrition for the industry.
Also of interest to North Carolina, this bill takes another important step in moving biofuels beyond focusing on corn. It reduces the current tax credit for corn-based ethanol by 6 cents per gallon and creates a new tax credit to promote the production of cellulosic biofuels.
While the Farm Bill may not be perfect, the good far outweighs any shortcomings.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source