Friday, June 12, 2009

House Agriculture Committee dislikes climate bill

"If there were any doubts that members of the House Agriculture Committee have serious concerns about the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation, all one needed to do was listen to Thursday’s seven-hour hearing on this subject,"reports the Washington newsletter Agri-Pulse. "Democrats and Republicans repeatedly challenged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack over his belief that farmers and ranchers can benefit from climate change legislation if it is structured appropriately. "

Pressed to say whether he favors the bill, Vilsack said he does not support the current version but said it is a work in progress that can be improved. "It appears that the number of Democrats opposed to the measure is growing, not shrinking, which will create a huge challenge for Speaker Nancy Pelosi," Agri-Pulse says.

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