[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E2207]]



             ENERGY POLICY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO FARMERS

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                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 5, 2001

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member commends to his colleagues the 
following opinion piece written by Mr. Bryce Neidig, president of the 
Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, which appeared in the November 27, 
2001, York News-Times. Mr. Neidig makes a convincing case for passing 
legislation which would implement a national energy policy. As Mr. 
Neidig stresses, farmers are heavily reliant on petroleum products and 
could suffer great hardship if Congress fails to develop a meaningful 
energy policy
  On August 2, 2001, the House approved an energy bill which would 
diversify our energy sources and create greater energy reliability and 
independence for the United States. Now is the time to enact a long-
term energy policy. Congress must help assure farmers and all Americans 
of the increased development of diverse, reliable, and affordable 
energy sources.

             National Energy Policy Needs Farmers' Support

       American agriculture is intensely dependent on petroleum. 
     In fact, it's the lifeblood of farming. Our nation is facing 
     an energy crisis, and farmers stand to suffer as a result--
     unless federal legislation is passed soon to end the crisis.
       The House of Representatives adopted a comprehensive energy 
     package in August--the National Energy Security Act 2001--
     that holds many keys to solving the nation's energy dilemma. 
     It includes fuel alternatives, incentives to reduce 
     consumption, aid to low-income fuel programs, and a provision 
     for oil exploration and production in a tiny portion of the 
     Coastal Plain in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). 
     The Senate needs to pass the act this year.
       Farmers could be among the hardest hit if we fail to enact 
     a national energy policy. Oil or gas shortages, scarcity, or 
     worse, embargoes, could send the price of energy soaring. 
     Higher input costs and low commodity prices are squeezing 
     many producers at this time.
       Petroleum products and natural gas provide heating oil and 
     diesel to run equipment and they are a key ingredient in 
     virtually all fertilizers and many other production inputs. 
     Increases in energy prices ripple through the entire farm 
     economy, spiking the costs to run farms and ranches.
       Conservation and development of alternative fuels are 
     important components of the legislation and are critical to 
     agriculture's support for a national energy policy. However, 
     exploration and production of domestic oil and gas are a 
     critical part of this proposed act as well. As our nation 
     grows and as the economy expands, so grows the need for more 
     oil and gas. More oil and gas production is a must in order 
     to stabilize energy prices for farmers and consumers, which 
     is why many producers support the environmentally safe 
     development of domestic and off-shore oil production.
       It is my understanding that there could be upwards of 16 
     billion barrels of recoverable oil under Alaska's Coastal 
     Plain. At full production, some estimates indicate that 
     Coastal Plain oil could contribute about 25 percent of our 
     energy needs. What Coastal Plain oil provides as well is a 
     secure source of domestic energy. Farmers who lived through 
     the Arab oil embargo of the early 1970s and the energy supply 
     problems of the last two years can testify to the disruption 
     and economic pain caused by an unstable oil supply. Coastal 
     Plain oil could serve as a buffer against Iraqi or Iranian 
     led embargoes, for example.
       Farmers and ranchers work long, hand hours to keep their 
     operations successful. The hard reality is that for most 
     farmers, the line between success and failure is thin. Sudden 
     spikes in energy prices because of shortages or embargoes 
     could spell doom for many of America's farmers.
       The National Energy Security Act 2001 is our nation's best 
     opportunity to chart a course out of a crisis that was many 
     years in the making. Farmers and all of us who make our 
     living through agriculture need to encourage our members of 
     Congress to back this legislation, for the sake of our 
     families and farms.

     

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