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Rural Health Care, Energy, Telecommunications,
Top Grange Priority Issues to Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 7, 2007) – Congress must address a list of priority issues facing Rural America, according to a group of more than 50 rural community leaders who met with elected officials and staff this past week on Capitol Hill. The leaders were state and local officials of rural Granges, the nation’s oldest national agricultural and rural community organization.
The priority issues included effective rural telecommunications, health care, immigration reform, and alternate sources of energy. Issues are part of the National Grange’s Blueprint for Rural America, a document listing six major issue areas critical to the nation’s rural communities. Prior to meetings on Capitol Hill, the Grange leaders were briefed on pending telecommunications policies, new sources of energy including biomass and ethanol, available health care, and farm labor issues including immigration reform. Briefings were chaired by William A. Steel, president of the National Grange.
More that seven percent of Americans don’t have access to broadband technology, reported Link Hoewing, vice-president of Verizon, Inc., in pre-meeting briefings. Most are in rural areas. He said that “Connect Nation” legislation is pending on Capitol Hill as one solution. American Petroleum Institute external relations manager, Bill Rosett, told the Grange leaders that ethanol fuels from crops is only part of the answer to energy independence. He said that if all U.S. cropland was used for
ethanol production, it would provide less than half of U.S. needs, and food prices would skyrocket. He called for agricultural interests to work together with the petroleum industry to come up with mutually beneficial solutions.
Kansas State Grange Master Roger Bostwick, following meetings in the offices of Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), noted: “Congressman Moran echoes the Grange’s concerns about the rural availability of quality electronic information, and is also looking into funding of alternative fuels, solar, wind, and hydro, as well as bio-fuels. I feel that our meetings were very productive.”
Jeff Swainston, Master of the Michigan State Grange, educated his Congressional delegation on the purpose of the Grange, noting: “In addition to discussing the specific issues affecting our members, since some of our Congressmen are new, I explained that the National Grange is a group of diversified, educated, ag consumers in Rural America.”
National President William A. Steel said that the state and local Grange leaders, upon returning to their home states, will use the extensive Grange grassroots network to disseminate information gathered in Washington to their Pomona and subordinate Granges to be shared in rural communities nationwide. The National Grange’s “Blueprint” includes issues that can be incorporated in the landmark 2007 Farm Bill, now being debated by Congressional committees.
During its 140-year existence, the National Grange has evolved to incorporate the interests of non-farm rural families and communities, as well as the traditional interests of family farmers and ranchers.
The National Grange is the nation’s oldest national agricultural organization, with 2,800 state, county, and local grassroots chapters in 37 states. Grange members provide service to agricultural and rural communities on a wide variety of issues. Additional information about the organization’s positions is available from : pweller@agriwashington.org.
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