Climate Change Legislation

Statement

Senator Chuck Grassley today issued the following statement after Senators Barbara Boxer and John Kerry released legislation to address climate change issues.

"Many of us had hoped that any Senate legislation would provide a more reasonable approach than the House bill. At first glance, it appears that the legislation put forward today fails to fix the problems that have already come to light in the other chamber's package. In fact, it looks like the American consumer will be hit even harder in the coming years, while still being given no guarantee that other nations will agree to similar limits imposed by this legislation. The lack of an international commitment effectively nullifies the point of this legislation, and puts our businesses at a competitive disadvantage in the global economy. This bill also appears to leave the door open to EPA developing carbon regulations on its own in addition to the cap-and-trade program created in this bill, which would be a bureaucratic nightmare for our farms and small businesses.

"It's also critically important that the Senate Agriculture Committee take an active role in formulating any legislation that impacts agriculture. The agriculture industry and rural communities will be some of the hardest hit areas under this bill. Iowa's economy depends on agriculture. According to a recent analysis by Iowa State University and the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers, agriculture-related industries employ one of every six Iowans and add $72.1 billion to the state's economy. It's imperative that this vital industry has input in this process. As this legislation moves forward, the Agriculture Committee should provide some common-sense input that is missing from the legislation released today."

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