News release from Congressman Marlin Stutzman:
Stutzman, Braley Introduce Bill for Farming Representation at EPA
(Washington, D.C. – March 16, 2011) – Congressmen Marlin Stutzman (R-IN-03) and Bruce Braley (D-IA-01) along with Senators Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the ‘Representation for Farmers Act’ which is bipartisan legislation to guarantee the representation for environmental policies and regulations that could affect agriculture in the United States.
The Stutzman-Braley Representation for Farmers Act will require the appointment, based on the recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture, of not more than three (3) members to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board. The purpose of the legislation is to increase the amount of actual farming experience on the EPA Science Advisory Board which provides analysis and recommendations for regulations and other issues that can have an impact on American agriculture. Farmers are increasingly concerned with regulations that have an adverse impact on their industry.
“With food prices rising and the cost of fuel increasing it is past time to improve farmers representation within the EPA system allowing their voice to be heard as regulations are created.” Stutzman said, “The American farmer helps to feed the world and we must make sure that burdensome regulations are vetted properly with input from those they will harm.”
Congressman Stutzman represents the 3rd Congressional District of Indiana and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Committee on the Budget and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Indiana’s 3rd District contains all of DeKalb, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Noble, Steuben, and Whitley counties; as well as parts of Allen and Elkhart counties.