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| Rep. Adrian Smith |
This week, Nebraskans are busy preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday, to celebrate with family and friends the many gifts with which we are blessed as Americans. Thanks in part to the efficiency and effectiveness of our agriculture producers, your Thanksgiving feast may cost slightly less this year. The American Farm Bureau reports an average Thanksgiving meal for ten people, will cost $49.04, a decrease from last year.
Nebraska’s producers continue to feed the world while facing several obstacles and great uncertainty. Congress has yet to pass a new long-term Farm Bill. Last month, the House appointed conferees to negotiate and resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Hopefully, the conference committee is able to agree on a final product which can pass both the House and Senate before the end of the year.
Progress on the Farm Bill has been uneven and at times frustrating. I appreciate the patience of Nebraska’s agriculture producers and their feedback as we continue working to get this priority done.
Another source of uncertainty for Nebraska’s producers has been the debate about the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a program expanded in 2007 to promote energy independence and increase consumer choice. This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed scaling back the amount of renewable fuels blended into gasoline for 2014. The proposal is not final, and I encourage stakeholders to take advantage of the upcoming comment period to make their voices heard.
I am hopeful EPA’s final decision will be based on sound science and recognize alternative fuels can help diversify our energy portfolio, which is a smart strategy for our security and our economy. The biofuels and biotechnology industries have made significant progress developing value-added uses for feedstocks and federal policy should not undermine innovation.
Finally, Nebraska producers have faced several natural obstacles including last year’s drought and wildfires, and this year’s floods. Most recently, several areas of the Third District were impacted by a series of storms in early October which resulted in flooding, tornados, and an early winter storm which killed livestock and heavily damaged the northern panhandle.
I have toured the damage of the tornados in Wayne, and met with local officials and ranchers in northwest Nebraska. During these visits, I saw not only the destruction, but also the resilience and willingness of Nebraskans to come together to help their neighbors.
I applaud the work of state and local officials, including the Farm Service Agency, which responded quickly by extending low-interest loans to producers, and other state entities involved in helping communities rebuild. We know there is more to be done, however, and a new Farm Bill would reauthorize livestock disaster assistance. I also recently joined the rest of Nebraska delegation in calling on President Obama to quickly approve Governor Heineman’s request for a major disaster declaration to make additional federal assistance available to impacted areas.
While Nebraska’s producers will continue to innovate, increase efficiency, and grow our economy, we must remove barriers to their future success. I remain committed to addressing the uncertainty created by both policy and nature, and thankful for the resourcefulness and resilience of our producers.
Progress on the Farm Bill has been uneven and at times frustrating. I appreciate the patience of Nebraska’s agriculture producers and their feedback as we continue working to get this priority done.
Another source of uncertainty for Nebraska’s producers has been the debate about the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a program expanded in 2007 to promote energy independence and increase consumer choice. This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed scaling back the amount of renewable fuels blended into gasoline for 2014. The proposal is not final, and I encourage stakeholders to take advantage of the upcoming comment period to make their voices heard.
I am hopeful EPA’s final decision will be based on sound science and recognize alternative fuels can help diversify our energy portfolio, which is a smart strategy for our security and our economy. The biofuels and biotechnology industries have made significant progress developing value-added uses for feedstocks and federal policy should not undermine innovation.
Finally, Nebraska producers have faced several natural obstacles including last year’s drought and wildfires, and this year’s floods. Most recently, several areas of the Third District were impacted by a series of storms in early October which resulted in flooding, tornados, and an early winter storm which killed livestock and heavily damaged the northern panhandle.
I have toured the damage of the tornados in Wayne, and met with local officials and ranchers in northwest Nebraska. During these visits, I saw not only the destruction, but also the resilience and willingness of Nebraskans to come together to help their neighbors.
I applaud the work of state and local officials, including the Farm Service Agency, which responded quickly by extending low-interest loans to producers, and other state entities involved in helping communities rebuild. We know there is more to be done, however, and a new Farm Bill would reauthorize livestock disaster assistance. I also recently joined the rest of Nebraska delegation in calling on President Obama to quickly approve Governor Heineman’s request for a major disaster declaration to make additional federal assistance available to impacted areas.
While Nebraska’s producers will continue to innovate, increase efficiency, and grow our economy, we must remove barriers to their future success. I remain committed to addressing the uncertainty created by both policy and nature, and thankful for the resourcefulness and resilience of our producers.
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