Breaking News: United States Senator Blanche Lincoln (AR) is the new chair of Senate Agricultural Committee according to sources on Capitol Hill. This information comes to this blog following a Senate Democratic Caucus meeting in which Senator Lincoln was given an impromptu congratulatory applause for her ascension. Previous Chairman Tom Harkin is going to be the next chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.Senator Lincoln issued the following statement when her chairmanship was made public: “As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer’s daughter, I know my father is smiling down on me today . . . I am fortunate to have served on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry since I was first elected to the Senate in 1998. It has been a committee of significant importance to my constituents and our state’s economy. The Committee’s responsibilities encompass a number of issues that are critical to Americans, particularly those living in rural areas. With such priorities as child nutrition reauthorization, farm bill implementation, and regulation of commodities, the Committee has a full plate. I thank Senator Harkin for his tremendous leadership. As Chairman, I will work with my colleagues to build upon the Committee’s strong record and devote my full energy to producing forward-looking, balanced priorities on behalf of all families and communities. I will continue to fight for the hardworking farm families and rural communities who provide the safest, most abundant and affordable supply of food and fiber in the world.”
In addition to child nutrition and farm bill implementation, the Senator expressed her belief during a conference call with Arkansas reporters that she does not anticipate climate change legislation will make it to the Senate floor this Fall given the already packed agenda. Senator Lincoln does not support the House-passed climate change bill specifically for the increased costs it would levy against farmers and those in the rural parts of the country, as well the potential for the legislation to increase food costs for all Americans. The Senator said the bill the House passed did not help agriculture.
However, the Senator is hopeful that the energy bill that came out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee can pass the Senate and also achieve the goal of lowering carbon emissions and creating new jobs in the "green economy." As far as potential food safety legislation is concerned, the Senator thought that too would have to be put on the back burner. Still, the Senator did express concerns about the direction of the House bill and giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) increased access and regulatory authority over American farms and farm products. She believes giving the FDA more power could lead to continuity problems and confusion as farmers are used to dealing with the United States Department of Agriculture on most matters.
The Senator does looks forward to engaging on international trade issues. Specifically, she is looking to see what can be done to eliminate trade barriers facing the U.S. agricultural products. Additionally, the Senator said she would like to see changes made in the current U.S. trade relations with Cuba as she believes changes in policy could be very beneficial to American agriculture.
While the Senator has only been the Chairman for a few hours, she is well aware of the issues facing the committee, as they have been around for quite some time.
Posted: 09/09/09; 2:24 EST; Updated 3:45 EST
