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House Ag Committee could consider the Growing Climate Solutions Act

The Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee says the committee is looking to schedule a hearing on the Growing Climate Solutions Act.

Glenn “GT” Thompson tells Brownfield he wants to ensure the bill helps producers.

“My primary principle when it comes to that is that the parties that benefit most from it financially are the farmers, the ranchers, and the foresters,” he says.

The Growing Climate Solutions Act passed the senate by a 92-8 vote in June. The House Agriculture Committee has yet to act on bill.

Thompson has previously said the bill is a big-government solution in search of a problem. In April, the House Ag and Natural Resources committee rolled out five pieces of legislation intended to be an alternative to the Growing Climate Solutions Act.

The package includes the Sponsoring USDA Sustainability Targets in Agriculture to Incentivize Natural Solutions (SUSTAINS) Act; Restoring Environments, Soils, Trees, and Operations to Develop the Rural Economy (RESOTRE) Act, Naturally Offsetting Emissions by Managing and Implementing Tillage Strategies (NO EMITS) Act; Forestry Improvements to Restore the Environment (FIRE) Act, and Producing Responsible Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment (PRECISE) Act.

Thompson says he appreciates the work Senators Mike Braun, a republican from Indiana, and John Boozman, a republican from Arkansas, have done on the Growing Climate Solution Act.

The Pennsylvania republican says he’s requested a hearing.

“This is the way the process works. I’m the ranking member, I’m not the chairman, so I don’t get a chance to schedule hearings or markups, but I have requested that the committee do this,” he says. “I think there’s probably some minor refinements and improvements that we can make so we can get this thing across the finish line.”

Thompson says he’d also like to see a hearing on his SUSTAINS Act.

“It’s a great bill that creates a public-private partnership so that if private entities from big corporations to small mom and pop stores want to get their climate credentials they could make contribution into this public-private partnership with USDA that would be established,” he says. “Those monies would be used for more conservation support for our farms.”

The GCSA is supported by more than 75 agriculture, food, forestry, and environmental groups that are part of the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance.  

Brownfield interviewed Thompson during a recent farm policy roundtable in Indiana.

Audio: Glenn “GT” Thompson