The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

Agriculture and Energy

Related Photos

  • Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas speaks at a recent town hall meeting at Northern Oklahoma College Enid’s Briggs Auditorium. Lucas is concerned about crop insurance, cap and trade and the trade deficit. (Staff Photo by SHAWN YORKS)

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  • Horses graze in front of Koch Nitrogen plant east of Enid. Congressman Frank Lucas said one of his concerns is cap and trade legislation that could affect industry and agriculture. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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Discussion

April 11, 2010

Politics on the farm:

Lucas says Washington has direct impact on agriculture

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — Amidst the furor over health care, U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas warned this year could have some dire consequences on the farm bill.

“There are three things we need to focus on,” he said.

One is President Barack Obama’s budget proposal that recommends cutting the safety net, the direct payment program to farmers, by $1.5 billion. It also proposes an $8 billion cut from federal crop insurance and taking money from a conservation program. Lucas doubts if some of those programs can continue to operate with such large cuts.

“He wants to spend the money in other areas, but these were set up in the 2008 farm bill, and producers in many areas signed a five-year commitment to abide by it after it passed,” Lucas said.

Lucas, a Republican who represents Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District, said taking that amount of money will seriously damage the farm bill.

“Say what you want about the commodity title, but crop insurance is important. If you take that much it may not work, he said.

The conservation program, specifically the incentive programs, is a basic cost share between producers, landowners and conservation districts that improves soil, water and air quality. Lucas said it is important to protect the commitment of the 2008 farm bill.

A second focus is cap and trade, which he referred to as a “so-called” global warming bill. Lucas said Republicans thought they had stopped it, but now that health care has passed, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House have shown increased interest.

“This is the bill that proposes to change the world’s weather pattern by giving the government control over what goes up our exhaust pipes of the horizontal exhaust pipe of a biological factory (cow),” he said.

If the bill does not pass, Lucas warned the administration will use Environmental Protection Agency as a vehicle to force cap and trade concepts by regulation. Agricul-ture is a big player, he said — from preparing soil, feeding livestock and processing grain and meat for delivery to the coolers that keep things fresh.

“If they succeed in using the EPA to do what the elected congresspersons won’t do, they will drive up the cost of all inputs and ultimately drive up the cost of food and fuel for all consumers,” he said.

A third area of concern is the trade deficit. Lucas said the U.S. must be able to sell its surplus around the world. He is working with the Obama administration to increase trade opportunities in three specific areas — Panama, Colombia and South Korea — through opening of trade agreements. Those areas could result in increase sales through reduced tariffs.

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