Agricultural News
General Farm Groups Comment on Changes Coming From Mid Term Election
Wed, 03 Nov 2010 10:29:08 CDT
The Presidents of two of the general farm organizations in the United States have issued statements following the mid term elections that were held in the US last night.
The following Statement is from the President of the American Farm Bureau Federation- Bob Stallman:
"Tuesday's mid-term elections brought a lot of change to Capitol Hill and Washington. The American Farm Bureau Federation looks forward to working with new and returning members of Congress on issues that are vital to the nation's farmers and ranchers.
"There will be many important legislative issues for agriculture in the 112th Congress. A new farm bill will be written by new agriculture committee members who may not be that familiar with farm policy. Farm Bureau will work with these committee members to help them understand the role of farm programs and develop a bill that provides an effective and responsive safety net for producers across the country.
"As businessmen and women, farmers and ranchers understand the need to foster economic growth and job creation. We will work closely with congressional members on tax issues, such as the estate tax and capital gains tax, as well as for common-sense solutions on environmental issues, like the Clean Water Act and greenhouse gas regulations. We will also work with Congress to change the outlook of trade opportunities by passing the stalled free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and Korea.
"As with any new Congress, the American Farm Bureau Federation is looking forward to working with new members to help them better understand agriculture one of the nation's most vital industries."
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Also issuing a statement on Wednesday morning was the President of the National Farmers Union- Roger Johnson:
"NFU has a long history as a bipartisan agricultural organization, working with those on both sides of the aisle. With a large number of new members of Congress, NFU is focused on education and ensuring that the newly elected members of Congress understand the significance of the issues that rural Americans face.
"NFU was founded on the basis of its symbol, the Farmers Union Triangle, with the three sides representing education, cooperation, and legislation. These three core values will be extremely important as we work on the 2012 Farm Bill. We must educate new members on the issues and create strong, cooperative, bipartisan legislation that best reflects the interests of farmers, ranchers, fishermen and their rural communities nationwide.
"Writing any new legislation, particularly the 2012 Farm Bill, will be challenging because of the difficult budget conditions we face. The limited funding means that it is critical that the farm bill use funds efficiently to protect farmers and ranchers from economic uncertainty. NFU continues to support increased safety nets for farmers, research and usage of renewable energy, and responsible environmental stewardship.
"Historically, the agriculture committees in both the House and the Senate tend to be bipartisan, as Congressmen frequently vote based on regional interest rather than their party. We look forward to working with House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Lucas and the new chairperson of the Senate Agriculture Committee as we continue to advocate for our members throughout the country. We also look forward to working with the new leader of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to create legislation that will help reduce our dependency on foreign oil and increase consumption of renewable fuels produced right here in the United States."
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