Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns: Though climate change legislation not likely to move this year, improvements eyed for agriculture

TSCRA Daily News Update, June 6, 2008

Though climate change legislation not likely to move this year, improvements eyed for agriculture

A cloture vote is expected to fail June 6 on Senate legislation entitled America’s Climate Change Security Act (S. 3036) - which is also commonly referred to as the Lieberman-Warner Climate Change bill.

Failure to obtain the 60 votes necessary for cloture will mean the bill is unlikely to make any further progress in Congress this year, but the topic is almost certain to return in the next Congress.

While the legislation is unlikely to regulate cattle operations, cattle producers could stand to benefit from a proposed program that would allow the agriculture industry to generate carbon credits for sale as offsets to regulated industries.

Such offsets could be generated by sequestering carbon in soils and trapping or reducing other greenhouse gas emissions. NCBA has been working with a broad coalition of interests on an amendment to improve this portion of the legislation.

The amendment would: Provide USDA with clear authority over the agricultural offset program; clearly state in law an initial list of eligible project types including projects from the livestock sector; eliminate restrictions inserted by the Environment and Public Works Committee requiring that offset projects could not receive support from any other government incentive program; and increase the offset allowances for agriculture.

These proposals will be among the top priorities for cattlemen when Congress considers this subject in the future, and NCBA will continue to refine the concepts in this amendment in preparation for next year's debate.