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NATIONAL GRANGE URGES SENAT TO BREAK DEADLOCK ON ENERGY BILL
Washington,
April 28, 2004 - The National Grange is urging U.S. senators to vote in favor
of a comprehensive energy bill when they meet on Thursday, April 29, 2004 to discuss
proposed provisions by Senator Minority Leader Tom Daschle and Energy Committee
Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM). On
April 27, 2004, Senator Daschle proposed a provision to the energy bill, S. 2095,
that would add corn-based ethanol and other renewable resources to the pending
Internet bill. Senator Domenici also proposed a provision that would add the entire
energy bill, minus tax provisions that have already been included in another bill.
The
National Grange, the nation's oldest agriculture and rural advocacy organization,
praises the efforts of Senators Daschle and Domenici to move forward on this bill.
If Congress votes in favor of S. 2095, rural America would benefit tremendously.
The
energy bill offers solutions to America's urgent and various energy challenges
by mandating greater use of ethanol and biodiesel, which would nearly double the
amount of corn used in ethanol production, rising to almost 2 billion bushels
by 2012. This will create new jobs in ethanol plant construction and operation
in rural areas. In addition, the increases in ethanol production would increase
the prices farmers receive for corn and sorghum by an estimated 10 to 30 cents
per bushel by 2012. These higher prices would also boost prices for other field
crops, such as wheat, barley, oats, soybeans and upland cotton. The
National Grange believes that imported energy and energy price instability threatens
prosperity in rural America. It advocates for the promotion of biodiesel, ethanol,
biomass and wind energies derived from American's family farmers. .
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