[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S1045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 105. Mr. COONS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 7, setting forth the 
congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 
2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal 
years 2026 through 2034; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the end of title III, add the following:

     SEC. ___. DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING TO 
                   AFFORDABLE, CLEAN ENERGY FOR AMERICAN FARMERS 
                   AND RURAL SMALL BUSINESSES.

       The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate 
     may revise the allocations of a committee or committees, 
     aggregates, and other appropriate levels in this resolution, 
     and make adjustments to the pay-as-you-go ledger, for one or 
     more bills, joint resolutions, amendments, amendments between 
     the Houses, motions, or conference reports relating to 
     requiring Executive Branch agencies to disburse funds to 
     grantees that have signed legal obligations with the Federal 
     Government to obtain funds that have been legally 
     appropriated by Congress to deploy cheap, clean energy for 
     American farmers and rural small businesses, which may 
     include funds made available under Public Law 117-169 (136 
     Stat. 1818) (commonly known as the ``Inflation Reduction Act 
     of 2022''), by the amounts provided in such legislation for 
     those purposes, provided that such legislation would not 
     increase the deficit over the period of the total of fiscal 
     years 2025 through 2034.

     SEC. ___. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

       It is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) funds described in the immediately preceding section 
     should be released to farmers, agriculture producers, and 
     rural small businesses to reimburse costs already incurred on 
     projects that have been constructed;
       (2) continuing to hold those funds risks putting 
     significant financial strain on those farmers, agriculture 
     producers, and rural small businesses because of their 
     inability to recoup funding to which they are legally 
     entitled; and
       (3) at a time when the rural economy of the United States 
     needs financial certainty, the Federal Government should not 
     be sending more shockwaves through the rural economy and food 
     producers.
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