NACIA Washington Update -- Weekly Wrap Up
July 25, 2008

In Washington, the typical summer weather has arrived, with temperatures in the high 90’s and heat indexes in the 100’s. While the weather has been making life difficult, Congress has continued to push on, feverishly trying to complete work prior to the August recess so the time in the home state and district can be spent pointing to their accomplishments.  

Having been the object of attention throughout the Farm Bill debate, the spotlight on crop insurance program has now been shifted elsewhere, and activity has been limited to the very initial implementation actions in USDA. Although it has been relatively quiet specifically regarding crop insurance since the adoption of the Farm Bill, agriculture and related activities have continued full bore.

The rising price of oil, the rising rates of childhood obesity, and food safety have been the “hot” agriculture-related issues that Congress has been addressing since action on the Farm Bill concluded.  Below is an outline of Congressional hearings this week on those topics, with other pertinent information. If you have any questions on any of these topics or on anything else, please contact us.
 
Brent W. Gattis
NACIA Washington Representative
http://www.nacia.org/

Energy:
The main energy debates have centered around three general areas: speculation in the agriculture futures markets and what the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) should or should not do; ways to lower the price and reduce demand and/or increase supply, including tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; and the Renewable Fuel Standard mandate and its effect on food prices.  Chairman Peterson (D-MN of the House Agriculture Committee held a three-day series of hearings last week on the CFTC issue, and as you can see below, others Committees are interested in the energy topics as well.

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Wednesday, July 23,

9:45 AM, 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Hearing: To review the status of existing federal programs targeted at reducing gasoline demand in the near term and to discuss additional proposals for near term gasoline demand reductions

Witnesses:

Edward Buiel, VP and CTO, Axion Power International, Inc.
Steven Chalk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Energy, DOE
David Greene, Corporate Fellow, Center of Transportation Analysis
John Laitner, Director of Economic Analysis, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Steve, Winkelman, Director of Transportation and Adaptation Programs, Center for Clean Air Policy

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Thursday July 24, 10:00 AM, 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Hearing: To discuss current policy related to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
 
Witnesses:

Kathy Fredriksen, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy and International Affairs, DoE
Didier Houssin, Director of the Office of Oil Markets and Emergency Preparedness, International Energy Agency
John Shages, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Petroleum Reserves, DoE
David Victor, Director of the Program of Energy and Sustainable Development, Stanford University
 
House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research, Thursday, July 24, 10:00 AM, 1300 Longworth House Office Building

Hearing: To review Renewable Fuels Standard implementation and agriculture producer eligibility

No Witnesses Listed Currently.

House Committee on Agriculture, Thursday, July 24, 3:00 PM, 1300 Longworth House Office Building

The House Agriculture marked up and favorably reported, as amended, CFTC legislation, the “Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act of 2008.”

Obesity:
The obesity topics have been mainly in preparation for next year’s Child Nutrition Reauthorization, which effects agriculture significantly due to the market created by the programs and the commodities used in the programs.  

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Children and Families, Wednesday, July 23, 2:30 PM, 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Hearing: To examine childhood obesity, focusing on declining health of America’s next generation (Part II)

Witnesses:

Joseph Thompson, M.D., M.P.H., Surgeon General, State of Arkansas, Director, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, Little Rock, AR
Jonathan Miller, Citizen, Ypsilanti, MI
Philip J. Dwyer, President and CEO, Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, New Haven, CT
Susan Neely, President and CEO, American Beverage Association, Washington, DC

House Committee on Education and Labor Thursday July 24, 10:00 AM, 2175 Rayburn House Office Building

Hearing: The Benefits of Physical and Health Education for Our Nation’s Children
 
Witnesses:

Richard Simmons, Fitness Guru
Lori Rose Benson, Director of Fitness and Physical Education, Department of Education, City of New York
Tim Brown, Former Oakland Raider Wide Receiver
Robert Keiser, Student Advisor to Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Council on Physical Fitness
Russell Pate, Associate Vice President for Health Sciences & Professor, University of South Carolina
Rep. Ron Kind, Member, U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Zach Wamp, Member, U.S. House of Representatives

Food Safety:

Food Safety has been at the forefront due to the most recent salmonella outbreak, as well as the many food safety incidents and recalls in the recent past.
 
House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Wednesday July 30

Hearing re: Legal and technological capacity for full traceability
 
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Thursday, July 31
 
Hearing re: The Recent Salmonella Outbreak

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