Blumenauer and Agriculture

Earl Blumenauer has throughout his career focused on farming and Agriculture, and this may be the year something gets done.  Many of his proposals are focused on eliminating big subsidies to Agribusiness and eliminating wasteful or ineffective programs, and if all survive will save $380 Billion over 5 years.  It has very bipartison support, with the super conservative Heartland Institute and the Leftist Public Citizen both on board.  How can it miss?  Well this is Congress, they'll probably find a way.

Among the subsidies that could be eliminated, many of which require taxpayers to pay the bill for pollution and assume the risk for failure: royalty-free oil and gas leases in federal waters ($53 billion), the corn ethanol tax credit ($6 billion), loan guarantees for nuclear power plant construction ($18.5 billion) and crop insurance ($30 billion).

For a summary of the benefits of the legislation, click here.   According to the Senate Agriculture Committee press release, the bill has overwhelming support.