Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, along with my Republican colleagues, I share a commitment to fiscal discipline in the fiscal year 2012 budget. And while it's important to find savings and carefully consider every item in the budget, it's also important to maintain commitments that have already been authorized. The 2008 farm bill authorized the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, or BCAP for short. So I stand here today to support at least partial funding for the BCAP program. In my district, hundreds of farmers have worked hard in preparation for planting a variety of switchgrass called Miscanthus giganteus, which has proven to be a viable cellulosic biofuel feedstock. In fact, 1 acre is capable of producing 20 tons of biomass, as opposed to corn, which produces less than 8, on average. This program will help our country produce renewable energy and accelerate economic growth. I hope my colleagues in the House will keep an open mind about the program and will find a way to give it the priority it deserves as this bill moves through the legislative process.”