Saxby Chambliss

I think we better be careful as we move ahead with cap-and-trade to make sure we get it right.

I think you are underresourced right now for what you have been charged to do.

It was clear to me that they want the Senate to very carefully consider all aspects of this issue and not rush to pass legislation.

It is a privilege for me to be here before you and my dear friend, Senator Hatch, Senator Franken to introduce to this Committee Beverly Martin.

Let's leave the record open. I have some other questions, and other members may have to.

The chief purpose of the Waxman-Markey and the Boxer bills is to raise the price of energy.

Climate change and the energy security of our Country are two very important issues facing our Nation.

However, in your testimony, you do not address the cost aspects of the House bill and a cap and trade program.

Why are we burdening the U.S. economy with a bill that admittedly will not do anything to address the problem?

I want to support a bill that provides greater energy security for Americans and addresses climate change, but, unfortunately, the House bill is not it.

We will need every available acre of arable land to feed a hungry world.

No matter how you look at that bill, it appears to me it imposes costs that will far outweigh the near-term and long-term benefits.

Very clearly, it is going to impact our ability to export in the world market, and I am one of those who has long advocated the fact that the future of American agriculture and our ability to make a profit depends on our ability to export…

This is not good policy. There has to be a better way.

I would say a couple of things. First of all, we take seriously this threat that EPA may at some point, under existing law, go out and try to regulate what is going on in agriculture.

Farm income will drop $5 billion compared to the baseline.

I am very concerned about the effect the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act...will have on agriculture producers.

I would hope you would be correct in that prediction. But the fact is, Mr. Secretary, they ... do intend to do nothing.

Given the quick pace of the House's consideration and passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, I understand that there was not much time to think through the implementation aspect of the agricultural offsets program.

I think we have to have that answer, more especially in the High Plains.

We are going to be putting our cotton farmers in particular at an unfair disadvantage in the world market.

If passed, would the United States be more vulnerable to challenges before the WTO? That answer to me is yes.

We are convinced that there will be some increased costs to producers.

No farm will escape the effect of this bill.

I hope that you will give strong consideration to educational programs about communicating to all Americans what is contained in those dietary guidelines.