Harkin Wants More for Ag in Climate Bill
Posted: July 10, 2009
Senate Ag Committee Chair Tom Harkin has scheduled a hearing for later this month on “The Role of Agriculture and Forestry in Global Warming Legislation” that is expected to discuss greater safeguards for farming and biofuels in the Senate version of a climate change bill.
During an interview with Energy & Environment News this week, Harkin said he wants to force EPA to “get over their absolute rejection of ethanol” and would like the Senate version of the climate change bill to increase the blend rate of ethanol to 15 percent.
Harkin also says he wants to make sure the Senate bill includes all the provisions House Ag Chairman Collin Peterson secured for agriculture in the House bill and more, such as more open offsets for sequestration and the ability to use land enrolled in conservation programs for carbon offsets.
They do have a little bit more time to work on the legislation now. Senate leadership decided this week to delay the deadline for committees to finish work on the climate bill until September 28.
The Senate Ag Committee hearing is scheduled for July 22 at 2:30 pm. No witness list has been released yet.
