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.
“STOP ATTACKS ON RURAL AMERICA” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H3160 on June 28.
The Department oversees energy policies and is involved in how the US handles nuclear programs. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department's misguided energy regulations have caused large losses to consumers for decades.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STOP ATTACKS ON RURAL AMERICA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa
(Mr. Feenstra) for 5 minutes.
Mr. FEENSTRA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge President Biden and his administration to back off on the attacks on rural America and rural Iowa.
The administration has proposed changes to the stepped-up basis tax policy, which is, effectively, the death tax with a new coat of paint.
I have heard from farmers all across the Fourth District who are concerned about these changes, and they would be financially devastating, especially when it comes to passing on that family farm to the next generation.
This was confirmed in a recent study by Texas A&M and the Agriculture and Food Policy Center. It noted that the stepped-up basis changes would impact 98 percent of family farms and impose an additional $1 million tax on farms in the Midwest.
It is simple. The hardworking men and women of the Fourth District and those who feed the world should not have to foot the bill for the Democrats' reckless spending agenda.
The Biden administration isn't just looking at penalizing rural Americans with higher taxes. They are also looking at implementing burdensome regulations that will crush rural Main Streets and our agricultural community in the Midwest.
Administrator Regan of the EPA recently announced that the EPA would look into undoing the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which replaced waters of the U.S. as a smarter, more efficient, and more straightforward approach to defining what waters warrant Federal regulation.
A return to WOTUS, which allowed the Federal Government to regulate water on 97 percent of the land in Iowa, would force unnecessary and costly government regulations on the backs of Iowa farmers. There are many places the Federal Government bureaucrats just don't belong, and specifically, they don't belong on our family farms.
When the executive branch's power exploded under the Obama administration, we saw ridiculous rules implemented and enforced, leading to rising costs in the ag industry and snuffing out economic growth on our rural Main Streets and in our rural communities.
This attempted power grab ultimately proved why water regulation is best left to States and localities.
Put simply, the Biden administration's Big Government agenda for rural America includes higher taxes and more regulation, but this administration isn't stopping at this one-two gut punch. President Biden is also looking to undermine the RFS and lowering biofuel blending requirements. This will hurt both crop growers and biofuel producers, two industries that are so critical to our economic activity in rural Iowa.
At the same time, the administration is laughing as they propose spending $174 billion on electric vehicles and charging stations. A study by Biden's own Department of Energy found that four out of every five vehicles will still require liquid fuels by 2050. Think about that. Four out of every five cars in 2050 will still need liquid fuels.
Why is President Biden taking aim at this critical industry? It seems the Democrats are shrugging their shoulders, comfortable with turning their backs on the rural Midwest, farmers, our rural Main Streets. I say enough is enough.
Rural Iowans are already suffering from high gas taxes and grocery prices due to this incredible inflation, which is a direct result of Democrats' massive and reckless spending. Gas prices are over 50 percent higher than they were a year ago. Our food and energy prices continue to rise because of inflation.
In May 2021, the Consumer Price Index increased at a rate that has not been seen since the 2008 recession. On top of the Biden inflation tax, our farmers can't afford additional taxes, more regulations, and other policies that will hinder the most important industries and will stifle growth in the rural Midwest, creating a disaster for rural Main Streets, our producers, and our family farmers.
Iowa is the breadbasket to the world. That is why President Biden must back off rural America. Please back off agriculture.
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