Senators want more info on bill

by Wally Northway

Published: July 28,2009

Tags: agriculture, environment, federal government

WASHINGTON — Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has joined a number of fellow Senators in requesting more analytical information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the impact a House-passed climate change bill could have on agriculture production.

Cochran serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee that last week conducted a hearing on climate change legislation. The hearing prompted Cochran, committee chairman Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and other committee members to request a briefing on the USDA’s initial analysis of agricultural impacts in the 1,428-page cap-and-trade bill (HR.2454) passed by the House of Representatives.

“The climate change issue, and legislation addressing it, is complex. We should take time to carefully consider how our policy decisions could affect agriculture production and, ultimately, the economy and job creation,” Cochran said. “Before the Senate moves forward, I want more information on how this legislation could affect an important sector of our Mississippi economy.”

The request for a briefing was issued in a letter to Dr. Joseph Glauber, USDA chief economist. The letter seeks updates on the UDSA’s “Preliminary Analysis of the Effects of HR.2454 on Agriculture,” which is based on estimates provided by the Environmental Protection Agency.

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