Bruce L. Braley: “Here is a three syllable world I will throw out right now: Paradox. Right now it is planting season in Iowa, and farmers…”

“Here is a three syllable world I will throw out right now: Paradox. Right now it is planting season in Iowa, and farmers are going out and growing renewable energy, so that we can become energy independent, we can reduce our dependence on Mideast oil, we can promote national security, we can promote economic security, we can provide jobs, good paying jobs, to the people of this country. Yet, at the same time, while those Iowa farmers are out there driving around in their pickup trucks, getting deliveries from their co-ops for their crop inputs, the cost of producing renewable fuels is directly impacted by what you see on that chart. Whether it is gasoline in the pickup truck, whether it is diesel fuel that is affected by periodic price influxes, one thing we know is that the cost of getting energy independence goes up. And is it any wonder when we look at who we are shifting our dependence from, people who create energy from fossil fuels, and look at who is going to benefit from these record oil company profits, that many of us campaigned on and made the case to the American people, give us a chance to have an impact. That is why I was very proud to be a cosponsor of Representative Stupak's bill. This whole Congress has been about increased accountability, increased oversight, because that is what the American people demanded when they sent us to Congress. Yet every day in these oversight hearings we are talking about important problems that the people demand solutions to.”