NCGA
Urges Members to Press for RFS Passage During Congressional
Recess (5-25-04)
With Congress on Memorial Day recess until June 1 and members in their respective
districts, the timing is ideal for corn growers to reiterate their support
for a comprehensive energy bill containing a renewable fuels standard (RFS),
as well as other key issues, NCGA notes.
“Just last week, we encouraged President Bush to avoid tapping into
strategic oil reserves, noting that a focus on a comprehensive energy bill
with an RFS is a better alternative,” noted NCGA President Dee Vaughan. “With
members of Congress at home in their respective districts, corn growers have
a great opportunity to express to them directly the need for an RFS, especially
in this time of unacceptably high gas prices.”
The House version of the foreign sales corporation/extra territorial income
(FSC/ETI) bill, and approval of the fiscal year (FY) 2005 budget are among
other key legislative items on the agenda for consideration following the recess.
FSC/ETI is not expected to be considered until mid-June, but expectations
are the entire bill could be voted on before the July 4 recess. The energy
tax portion has increased to $19.4 billion, up from the Senate passed version
of $18 billion.
Postponed last week, the FY05 budget resolution is marked to be taken up for
consideration after the Memorial Day recess. Although there are no immediate
threats for cutting mandatory farm program spending, further delays may complicate
efforts to improve funding for discretionary programs such as value-added market
development grants and bio-energy initiatives.
On a high note, late last
week Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) along with seven other members introduced legislation,
S.2470, calling for navigation capacity improvements
and enhancements to the ecosystem restoration plan for the Upper Mississippi
River and Illinois Waterway System. NCGA continues to support inclusion of
S.2470 in the full Water Resource Development Act (WRDA).
NCGA
is also encouraging its members to voice their support for lock modernization
by attending the
Army Corps of Engineers’ final series of public hearings
on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers navigation study. For a list
of public hearings, click here http://www.ncga.com/transportation/main/meetings_PublicHearing.htm.
“Corn growers look
forward to progression of S.2470,” concluded Vaughan. “Lock
and dam modernization on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers is way overdue,
and it’s time legislation paves the way for corn growers to remain
competitive in world markets.”