AFBF applauds Senate delay of climate legislation

Washington-Senate Democratic leaders on Nov. 17 said they would delay debate on climate change legislation until spring 2010, focusing instead on health care and legislation tied to economic recovery. The decision was greeted with enthusiasm by various industry and agricultural groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). “We applaud the decision by Senate leadership to delay consideration of climate change legislation until the spring of 2010,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman on Nov. 19. “This move offers a great opportunity for lawmakers to go back to the drawing board and re-assess the need for this legislation and the impact it will have on all Americans.” Climate change legislation was passed by the Senate environment panel earlier in November, and the House of Representatives narrowly passed its version of a climate bill last June (GM June 29, 2009). “Legislation previously approved by the House, and a similar bill approved on a party-line vote by a Senate committee, would impose higher energy and food costs on consumers,” Stallman said. “The bills also would create an energy deficit due to limited alternatives. Farmers and ranchers would see higher fuel, fertilizer and energy costs. And the cap-and-trade provisions would do little more than downsize American agriculture and our ability to produce food in this nation.” Stallman also referred to the mid-month announcements that Pres. Obama and other world leaders were scaling back ambitions for a global climate change summit in Copenhagen in December. “We now know there will be no international agreement resulting from the upcoming meeting in Copenhagen,” he said. “Furthermore, we have heard testimony from the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency that the House-passed bill would have no significant impact on the global climate. These bills represent all pain and no gain for our nation and American agriculture and now the Senate has a chance to correct that error.” The White House said Pres. Obama was working with Senate lawmakers to move the legislation as quickly as possible. The Senate Finance Committee may begin deliberations on the climate bill in January, according to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). The Commerce Committee may also weigh in on some of the bill’s provisions.