[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 83 (Thursday, June 4, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H6159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CAP-AND-TRADE'S NEGATIVE IMPACT ON RURAL AMERICA

  (Mr. SMITH of Nebraska asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I have serious concerns about 
cap-and-trade legislation and its impact on the American people, 
especially rural communities. This, at its core, is a national energy 
tax which will be passed on to the American people. The stakes are even 
higher for our Nation's agriculture industry.
  Agriculture is an energy-intensive industry, relying on fuel for the 
pickup truck, fertilizer for the crops, and generators to keep heaters 
on during the winter.
  The Third District of Nebraska is one of the largest agricultural 
districts in the country, home to more than 30,000 farmers and 
ranchers. And everyone knows that even a small increase in the 
operating costs would have dire results.
  As higher energy prices hit other areas of our economy, farmers and 
ranchers will pay more for seed, equipment, steel and other supplies. 
As the cost of production increases, so will the price of food on the 
shelves in urban areas.
  This national energy tax is the wrong way to go, and certainly my 
colleagues know that.

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