The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SMALL BUSINESS ENERGY EMERGENCY RELIEF ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Senate section on pages S2974 on March 27, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SMALL BUSINESS ENERGY EMERGENCY RELIEF ACT
Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, yesterday the Senate approved S. 295, the Small Business Energy Emergency Relief Act of 2001. This bill will provide needed assistance to small businesses and farmers that have suffered direct and substantial economic injury caused by significant increases in the prices of heating oil, propane, kerosene, or natural gas.
Specifically, I would like to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Small Business Committee, Senator Kit Bond and Senator John Kerry, for their willingness to include an amendment sponsored by Senator Harkin and me. This amendment will help farmers offset the surging costs of fuel. Farmers in my state and throughout the country have been negatively impacted as a result of high energy prices on farm income, due not only to the costs for fuel farmers need to run their equipment but also the increases in costs for fertilizer, which is made from natural gas.
Earlier this year, the spot price for natural gas had increased 400 percent from the year before. The Department of Energy is predicting that natural gas rates this winter will be at least double last year's levels. The most recognizable impact of this price spike has been on heating costs. However, many in the agriculture community are concerned with the impact of these spiraling costs on agricultural producers, since natural gas is the major component of nitrogen.
I am pleased that the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Small Business Committee agreed to include the Farm Energy Relief Act to allow the Secretary of Agriculture to declare a disaster area in counties where a sharp and significant increase in the price of fuel and fertilizer has caused farmers economic injury and created the need for financial assistance. That determination would allow farmers to be eligible for USDA's emergency disaster loans for losses arising from energy price spikes. I believe this amendment will provide much-needed relief to many of our producers who are also facing depressed prices for their commodities.
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