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Cap and trade discussion continues on Capitol Hill

Two prominent farm leaders expressed support for a carbon cap and trade system at a Washington hearing Wednesday. Meanwhile, two key congressmen are expressing doubts.

National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson told the House Committee on Small Business that the flexibility of a cap and trade program holds the most promise in making actual greenhouse gas emission reductions. At the same time, Johnson says, it would mitigate the overallenergy cost increases that would result from such a program.

Fred Yoder, a past president of the National Corn Growers Association and member of the Climate Change Task Force, agreed that agriculture can play a positive role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And heoutlined several NCGA policies stressing that agriculture should not be subject to an emissions cap.

Speaking to farm broadcasters in Washington Wednesday, Senate Ag Committee chair Tom Harkin said he’s still not sold on the cap and trade idea.

“I’m much more inclined to just say ‘let’s just have a straight carbon tax’”, Harkin says. “It’s simple, it’s straightforward, it’s understandable, it gets to the root of the problem.”

Harkin thinks cap and trade could be difficult to regulate. But headds, “if they do move in that direction—and there’s support for it—a number of us are going to make sure that agriculture has its rightful seat at that table and they can partake in selling credits for sequestration.”

Meanwhile, the ranking member of the HouseAgriculture Committee, Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, says he’s concerned about the impact cap and trade could have on rural economies. Lucas called it “the most amazing tax increase of all time” with far-reaching effects to consumers, businesses and especially rural America.