Fw: Release: Forum Examines Impact of Job-Killing EPA Regulations onRural America

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From: House Republican Agriculture Committee <agrepublicanpress@politicalmediagroup.com>

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:16:12 -0500

To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>

ReplyTo: "tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov" <tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov>

Subject: Release: Forum Examines Impact of Job-Killing EPA Regulations on Rural America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2010 CONTACT:   Lucas - Tamara Hinton (202) 225-0184 Graves - Alexandra Haynes (202) 225-5821 Hastings - Jill Strait (202) 225-2311 Forum Examines Impact of Job-Killing EPA Regulations on Rural America WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Frank Lucas (R-OK), Sam Graves (R-MO), and Doc Hastings (R-WA), Co-Chairs of the Rural America Solutions Group, hosted a forum today entitled, "The EPA's Assault on Rural America: How New Regulations and Proposed Legislation are Stifling Job Creation and Economic Growth." Experts from across the country traveled to Washington, D.C. to discuss Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and provide real-life examples of how these regulations and related legislation have affected their work, families, and communities. Representatives from the Idaho Water Users Association, the Center for Energy Economics and Public Policy at the University of Wyoming's College of Business, the National Sorghum Producers, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the U.S. Coal Corporation, Lincoln Paper and Tissue, and the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation offered testimony and answered questions during the forum. Click here to watch the video footage from today's forum. "Every day the EPA seems to demonstrate how vastly disconnected it is to the folks who feed us," said Representative Lucas, Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee.  "With little oversight from the Democratic leadership that controls both the House and the Senate, the EPA has become an agency gone wild, creating regulations and policies that are burdensome, overreaching, and that negatively affect jobs and rural economies.  If the EPA is allowed to continue down this path, the only choice for many farmers and ranchers will be to stop farming altogether." "Small businesses are the engines of job creation in America, creating seven out of every ten private sector jobs in recent years. Now more than ever, the American people need the kinds of jobs that are created by our small businesses," said Representative Graves, Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee.  "Unfortunately, more government regulations could devastate small businesses nationwide by raising the cost of doing business and forcing employers to cut salaries and slash hiring.  In the rural communities, where double-digit unemployment has become the norm and the fight for employment is already fierce, more job-killing regulations would be nothing short of catastrophic. Today's forum provided us the opportunity to explore the very real impact current and proposed regulations have on our families and businesses.  I hope the Administration is listening." "Federal EPA bureaucrats are on the verge of killing thousands of rural jobs and communities through an arcane maze of rules and regulations that can only make sense to a lawyer in Washington, D.C.," said Representative Hastings, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee. "At a time when Republicans are focused on stabilizing the economy, these top-down policies will only kill long-term jobs and future economic development.   Many rural communities are not asking for massive spending and handouts in times of a $13 trillion debt; they are simply asking for the government to exercise some common sense and abandon its pursuit of higher taxes and more red tape."  The Rural America Solutions Group was established by House Republicans to develop solutions to the unique issues facing rural America.  To learn more about the Rural America Solutions Group, click here. *If you would like to listen to a radio actuality from each co-chair click on their names to follow: Rep. Lucas, Rep Graves, Rep. Hastings. # # # Rural America Solutions Group http://agriculture.house.gov/republicans

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Fw: Lincoln Urges White House to Remove Cuba Trade Barriers

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From: "Becker, Ben (Agriculture)" <Ben_Becker@agriculture.senate.gov>

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:33:30 -0500

Subject: Lincoln Urges White House to Remove Cuba Trade Barriers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 29, 2010

Contact: Courtney Rowe, Ben Becker (202)224-2035

 

Lincoln Urges White House to Remove Cuba Trade Barriers

 

Washington — U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, this week urged the White House to remove regulatory obstacles that are obstructing trade with Cuba. The move, already under consideration by President Barack Obama, would bolster U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba.  

 

"Agriculture is a sector of our economy where we are proving that we can successfully meet the export demands that will help rebuild the U.S. economy," Lincoln said. "Lifting the travel ban and readjusting the payment terms for exports to Cuba would increase U.S. agricultural exports by more than $360 million annually, generating 6,000 domestic jobs and a $1 billion boost to the U.S. economy. This would be a tremendous help to Arkansas's agricultural producers that will grow our state's economy and create jobs in our rural communities."

 

As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Lincoln has repeatedly called for increased access to the Cuban trade market, noting that Cuba was once a major export destination for U.S. rice, wheat and other agricultural products, and should be so again. Lincoln has introduced legislation that would facilitate the export of U.S. agricultural commodities, establish an agricultural export promotion program with Cuba, and relax travel and trade restrictions for U.S. citizens.

 

The letter urges the president to direct the Treasury Department to repeal a 2005 rule that requires U.S. exporters to receive cash payment before goods are shipped, which effectively ended all food and medicine-based sales. It also urges the Treasury Department to lift a requirement that cash payment for U.S. goods be routed through a third-country bank, which has resulted in delays and increased transaction costs.

 

The full text of the letter can be found below. 

 

 

September 28, 2010

 

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

 

Dear Mr. President,

 

We write to express our support for the regulatory changes that your administration is considering to increase people-to-people exchanges between the United States and Cuba.  These exchanges could have a profound impact on both of our nations, building relationships and goodwill between our societies.  But we also encourage you to implement further reforms to strengthen ties between the American and Cuban people and improve their economic well-being.

 

Specifically, we urge you to direct the Treasury Department to use its regulatory authority to remove two serious obstacles to food and medicine sales to Cuba.  Congress enacted legislation in 2000 authorizing the sale of food and medicine to Cuba by payment of cash in advance or third-country bank letters of credit.  For several years, U.S. exporters were able to make such cash-based sales, receiving payment after the goods shipped from U.S. ports and before transferring title and control to the Cuban buyers.  In 2005, however, the Treasury Department adopted a new and more restrictive rule that required U.S. exporters to receive cash payment before the goods were shipped from the United States, which effectively ended all cash-based food sales to the island.  We strongly urge repeal of this rule and reinstatement of a rule that is consistent with the cash-in-advance requirement and the intent of Congress to expand food sales. 

We also urge you to direct the Treasury Department to lift the requirement that cash payment for U.S. food and medicine sold to Cuba be routed through third-country banks.  This requirement, which is not mandated by the legislation, delays and increases the cost of these transactions.  Moreover, the Treasury Department does not impose this requirement on licensed U.S. telecommunications and travel service providers, which may transact business directly.  The Treasury Department should allow licensed U.S. agricultural exporters to do the same.

 

We recognize that other steps to increase food sales to Cuba require legislative action.  Most importantly, lifting the travel ban would boost demand for U.S. foodstuffs in Cuba and, as the Cubans' incomes grow, would help recapture and increase the cash-based trade that we have lost to foreign competitors who offer the Cubans credit.  In fact, a Texas A&M University study estimates that lifting the travel ban and addressing payment terms for U.S. exports to Cuba – without extending credit – would increase U.S. agriculture exports by more than $360 million annually, generating 6,000 jobs and a $1 billion boost to the U.S. economy.

There is broad support in Congress for taking these measures to reduce barriers on trade and travel with Cuba.  We would welcome your support for these efforts.  If we work together to increase U.S. food exports, and allow our citizens to travel freely to Cuba, we can establish and strengthen ties that benefit the American and the Cuban people.

 

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Fw: Senator LeMieux: Hasty EPA Rule Will Harm Florida's Families andEconomy

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From: "Cronin, Meaghan (LeMieux)" <Meaghan_Cronin@LeMieux.senate.gov>

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:50:29 -0500

Subject: Senator LeMieux: Hasty EPA Rule Will Harm Florida's Families and Economy

 

 

For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Contact:
Ken Lundberg 202-228-5957
Jessica Garcia 202-228-5113

 

Senator LeMieux: Hasty EPA Rule Will Harm Florida's Families and Economy

Senator LeMieux proposes amendment to block harmful rule from going into effect

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) today will offer an amendment to pending Senate legislation to block a controversial and non-science based water regulation the EPA is forcing on Florida.

 

"This rule will hurt Florida's families. It will cost our state billions of dollars, thousands of jobs, and drive up water bills. This is lawsuit-driven regulation without a sound scientific basis and the result will be unnecessarily catastrophic for Florida," said LeMieux. "The EPA's actions threaten Florida's economy and is unlikely to provide little, if any biological benefit."

 

In an August 2, 2010 letter to the EPA, signed by Senator LeMieux and 20 other Florida members of the House of Representatives, the delegation asked for the agency to delay their rule until a peer review of the science and an independent economic analysis can be conducted. The EPA responded, six weeks later, indicating no further review was necessary and the rule would proceed, despite the protestations of local, state and federal officials.

 

"We all support clean water.  Florida is a nationally recognized leader in promoting water quality. But at a time when our state is suffering from high unemployment, budget deficits and depressed real-estate values, we must be cautious about forcing unwise, unaffordable and unproven federal water mandates on our communities," said LeMieux. "It is estimated that under this new mandate, the average Florida family will pay an additional $700 dollars a year in water bills."

 

The Senate is expected to consider the LeMieux amendment this afternoon.

 

BACKGROUND: The EPA has issued a proposed rule establishing federal numeric nutrient criteria for Florida water bodies. The EPA views the mandate as being in accordance with a consent decree the agency entered into with several litigants. The first rule is set to go into effect in October of this year.

 

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Editors: Please note attachments.