Kim Schrier: “I thank the chairman for the opportunity to speak on this important bill, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act. American…”

“I thank the chairman for the opportunity to speak on this important bill, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act. American families are struggling. They are continuing to see rising gas prices even as oil and gas companies are making record profits. Higher prices at the grocery store are making it harder to put food on the table, and a lot of this is because farmers are struggling with increasing fuel prices. Costs and availability of transportation to both domestic and export markets continue to be a challenge for the wheat, cherry, apple, and pear growers in my district. This is a global problem, but it is a problem that we can take steps to ease right here at home. This bill provides the resources to do just that. It addresses the cost of fuel by allowing year-round sales of higher ethanol blends, which are consistently less expensive than higher octane gas. It addresses high food prices by helping farmers and helping our supply chain. Fertilizer costs are at record highs since most of our fertilizer is typically sourced from Russia. This bill helps farmers spend less on inputs without lowering crop yields. We are paying skyrocketing prices for meat at the grocery store, but farmers and ranchers don't see any of that additional profit because four companies control 80 percent of U.S. meat processing. That is unfair.…”