Senator Amy Klobuchar

Working for the People of Minnesota

Press Contact

Joel Gross
Press Secretary
(202) 224-3244

News Releases

2007 Farm Bill Includes Klobuchar Proposals to Invest in Cellulosic Ethanol and Increase Access to E85 pumps

Bipartisan bill improves vital programs for family farmers; Klobuchar to push for more reform

October 25, 2007

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar voted in support of the 2007 Farm bill  that passed the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee today.  The bill includes a stronger safety net for Minnesota farmers, permanent disaster relief, and a groundbreaking energy title, thanks to several initiatives that Klobuchar pushed for. 

“This bill builds on the success of the 2002 farm bill and strengthens the safety net for Minnesota farmers,” said Klobuchar. “We have a strong, bipartisan bill and I will continue to push for more reform as we move to the Senate floor.”

Since taking office, Klobuchar has taken the lead on several initiatives to invest in the next generation of renewable fuels and worked successfully with the committee to include her first-of-its-kind initiative to encourage American farmers to produce cellulosic crops. Klobuchar also secured a provision to help increase consumer access to renewable fuels that was modeled after a bill she introduced this past spring. At the hearing, Agriculture Committee Chairman Harkin (D-IA) recognized Sen. Klobuchar’s work in the energy area stating:

“The farm bill’s energy title provides important investments in farm-based energy – programs to help farmers to transition into biomass crops and support the construction of biorefineries from cellulose ethanol,” said Sen. Harkin.  “Senator Klobuchar from the beginning advocated strong new incentives for farmers to produce energy crops and support for rural energy facilities and biorefineries.  It was obvious she was listening to Minnesotans and carrying their message to our Senate Agriculture Committee.”

The cellulosic provision in the farm bill was modeled after Sen. Klobuchar’s “Farm-to-Fuel Investment Act,” which aims to reduce American dependence on foreign oil by providing transition assistance for farmers to grow dedicated energy crops (crops like switchgrass grown solely for the purpose of producing energy).

"Looking into the future, farmers are going to be a key part of our nation's ability to achieve energy independence," Klobuchar said. "Producing these cellulosic energy crops could completely alter the way we look at energy, just like ethanol and biodiesel already have."

The farm bill also includes Klobuchar’s “Ethanol Education and Expansion Act of 2007” that would work to reduce prices at the pump for consumers by providing grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to farmer-owned ethanol producers to install additional E-85 pumps at rural gas stations as well as the equipment needed to sell E-85 directly to gas stations.  This language will help ensure that more drivers across the country have access to home-grown ethanol, and the lower prices that come with it.

“My goal is to ensure hard-working Americans aren’t spending all of their money at the pump while oil companies rake in profits,” said Klobuchar. “By dramatically increasing the availability of E-85, Americans would be able to choose domestically-produced fuel, while helping farmers invest in homegrown renewable energy, and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

The Agriculture Committee also accepted Klobuchar’s amendment to increase funding for “The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program” which would create opportunities for Farmers and Ranchers in developing markets like organic farming and energy production.
The amendment will provide mentoring and outreach for new farmers, and training in business planning and credit-building – the skills they need to succeed and stay on the land.

The legislation would also increase funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Individual Development Account (IDA) Pilot Program.  This initiative will support matched savings accounts to help new farmers invest in land, buildings and equipment, and start building equity in farming operations.

The bipartisan bill includes many reforms to provisions Klobuchar sees as vital to improving America’s farm policy and investing in farmers.  In addition to a strong energy title, the bill includes long overdue permanent disaster assistance for farmers and strong conservation provisions. 

Permanent Disaster Assistance is particularly important to Minnesota and neighboring states that have seen droughts and flooding and everything in between for years. The provision would help family farmers keep operating after suffering natural disasters such as the drought affecting Minnesota the last two years.  The Farm bill also strengthens programs for dairy and sugarbeet producers, restoring the safety net for dairy farmers and protecting sugarbeet producers from a possible surge of imports in the coming years.

“The permanent disaster program will mean a great deal to all ranchers and farmers in the Midwest facing financial hardships,” said Klobuchar.  “For year’s we’ve seen hard-working farmers and ranchers fighting severe cycles of drought and flooding. This aid will help struggling family farmers trying to stay in business."

The Farm bill increases funding for conservation programs by more than $ 4 billion to improve the effectiveness of programs that will significantly help Minnesota’s environment and ensure that Minnesota farmers will continue to have rich and productive farmland.

“I’m very proud that we have provided the necessary resources to increase the effectiveness of our conservation programs to protect our water quality and provide habitat for wildlife,” said Klobuchar.  “Minnesota has more land enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Program than any other state, and this funding will preserve the habitat for migratory waterfowl.”

Senator Klobuchar has been a strong advocate of reforming the 2007 Farm bill and a leading proponent of payment limit reform. Klobuchar has stated that she will continue to push for stronger payment limit reform as the bill moves to the Senate floor for debate in the coming weeks.

“We need to put reasonable limits on payments to the largest farms, in order to ensure that resources are targeted to hardworking family farmers,” said Klobuchar.  “We must to ensure that we’re helping active family farmers, not urban millionaires.  I believe we can do more, and I will continue to push for more reform on the Senate floor.”

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