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Corn Growers' Legislative Agenda Goes into Maximum Overdrive (7-02-01)
Even
though Congress is out of town this week for the July 4th recess, corn
growers must rise to the challenge of the busiest - and most portentous
- legislative agenda they may ever face. Because, for the next three
weeks beginning July 9, Congress and the Bush administration have scheduled
an aggressive agenda that includes several issues that will affect the
future of corn growers.
First, NCGA is pushing
hard to incorporate a renewable fuels provision in the Administration's
energy plan. The House is scheduled to mark up the first round of an
energy bill around July 12. Second, corn growers can anticipate major
movement on the farm bill this month.
Last week, the House
passed emergency economic aid for the current fiscal year. When Congress
reconvenes on July 9, corn producers should expect the House Agriculture
Committee to make considerable progress on both the commodity and conservation
titles of the next farm bill
Third, the administration
has demonstrated its hard-charging support for seeking presidential
trade promotion authority (TPA). The agriculture community has already
participated in pro-TPA events sponsored by the White House and congressional
leaders. These events are a prelude to a major House vote on trade promotion
authority during July.
NCGA's success in
attaining the legislative goals connected with these three "Big
Rocks" issues may very well depend on the effectiveness of corn
growers' grassroots activism.
Last
reviewed July 2, 2001
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