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Agriculture Committee Concludes First Hearing on Cap & Trade Bill

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov The full Agriculture Committee concluded its first public hearing today to review the Waxman-Markey climate change and energy legislation (H.R. 2454). It was the first time the Agriculture Committee had the opportunity to hear from the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who was the only witness on the first panel. During t...

Lucas to Emphasize Costs and Legislative Process in Committee Cap & Trade Hearing

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov Ranking Member Frank Lucas will deliver the following statement at today’s full Agriculture Committee hearing on the Waxman-Markey climate change and energy legislation (H.R. 2454). The hearing is scheduled for 2 pm today in 1300 Longworth House Office Building. “Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for calling this hearing to r...

Heritage Foundation Releases Economic Study on How Cap & Trade Will Impact Farmers

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis released an economic study on Tuesday regarding the impact a cap-and-trade system would have on the agriculture community. The study maintains that cap-and-trade is “an energy tax in disguise” that will cause farm income to drop dramatically because of higher operating costs....

Vilsack Changes Direction on Role USDA Would Play in Administering Any Ag Offsets Program with Cap & Trade Bill

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov The Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack has made conflicting statements over the past two weeks about the role the U.S. Department of Agriculture should play with a national cap-and-trade system that would be created under the Waxman-Markey climate change and energy bill (H.R. 2454). On a May 27 visit to Kentucky, the Insti...

Agriculture Committee to Hold a Hearing on Cap & Trade Bill

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov The House Agriculture Committee will hold a public hearing on the Waxman-Markey climate change and energy bill (HR 2454). It is scheduled for Thursday, June 11 at 2 pm in 1300 Longworth House Office Building. "I am pleased that Chairman Peterson has scheduled a hearing on the Waxman-Markey bill. The most important thing we ca...

Lucas Stresses the Importance of Using Legislative Process as Congress Considers Cap & Trade Bill

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov An editorial about the Waxman-Markey bill (H.R. 2454) from Ranking Member Frank Lucas was published today in a special agriculture section of The Hill. In the editorial, Rep. Lucas emphasized the devastating economic impact this legislation will have on production agriculture and rural economies. “From higher energy costs to ...

More Agriculture Groups Announce Opposition to Cap & Trade Bill

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov More agriculture groups are express ing opposition to the Waxman/Markey climate change and energy legislation (H.R. 2454). Since mid-May, 17 more groups have written letters to Members of Congress encouraging them to vote against the measure. To date, no large farm groups have endorsed it. The Waxman-Markey bill was passed by...

Lucas Asks Vilsack for Specifics of His Plan for Ag in Cap & Trade

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov Today, Ranking Member Frank Lucas sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, asking him for the specifics on how production agriculture can benefit from a cap-and-trade program. This request comes on the day Congress Daily reported that Secretary Vilsack vows to advocate for an offsets program for agriculture and...

A Coalition of Agriculture Groups Oppose Cap & Trade Bill

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov A growing list of agriculture groups have sent letters to Congress expressing opposition to or serious concerns about the Waxman/Markey climate change and energy legislation (H.R. 2454). And, according to a New York Times article today, no large agriculture industry groups have endorsed the bill. The bill is beingconsidered b...

Rural America Solutions Group Press Conference Available on YouTube

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MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov Rep. Frank Lucas, Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee and Co-Chair of the Rural America Solutions Group, along with fellow Co-Chairs Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rep. Doc Hastings (RWA) held a press conference yesterday to highlight the impact of the Waxman/Markey climate change and energy bill on rural America. T...