Vilsack defends Obama's statements on pending regulations
August 18, 2011 | 05:04 PM
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack capped President Obama’s three-day Midwestern bus tour today by announcing USDA grants and loans for community facilities in 31 states and Puerto Rico, explaining how food stamps stimulate the economy and agreeing with Obama’s statements Wednesday that farmers worried about impending regulation should check to make sure the regulations are really moving forward or are just fears being fed by lobbyists in Washington.
The bus tour of Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois ended late Wednesday, when Obama returned to Washington. Vilsack made the announcements in a call to reporters from Iowa, where is scheduled to hold a session at the state fair on Friday.
Vilsack said the announcement of the 107 community facilities projects ranging from schools to nursing homes to purchases of police and fire vehicles completed a week of announcements in which the Obama administration was demonstrating its commitment to improving life in rural America. The projects will be funded through USDA’s Rural Development community facilities program.
“The funding we are announcing today will help rural communities remain attractive places for job creation and business expansion,” Vilsack said. “The Obama administration and USDA are committed to ensuring that rural communities remain economically competitive by offering residents access to quality health care services, modern library facilities and school buildings, and reliable emergency equipment and services."
The total cost of the grants and loans will be $55 million.
Following up on an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show this week in which he discussed the stimulative impact of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits known as SNAP or food stamps, Vilsack said the benefits move quickly through the economy and stimluate jobs because beneficiaries spend the money within the month in which they get the benefits.
Almost 46 million people are now on food stamps at an annual cost of $70 billion per year. The increased purchasing power, Vilsack said, stimulates agricultural production as well as processing, trucking and retail sales.
Asked whether the administration might address concerns farmers had expressed about regulation during Obama’s Midwestern tour, Vilsack said when a farmer asked a related question in Atkinson, Ill., Wednesday, “the president’s response was right on target.”
The farmer told Obama that he wanted to start his days driving his tractor, not filling out paper work. Obama asked the farmer for his specific concerns, and the farmer replied, “We hear what’s coming down about noise pollution, dust pollution, water runoff.”
Obama said, “If you hear something is happening, but it hasn’t happened, don’t always believe what you hear. … I’m serious about that. Because a lot of times, what will happen is the folks in Washington — there may be some staff person somewhere that wrote some article or said maybe we should look into something."
“And I’m being perfectly honest, the lobbyists and the associations in Washington, they’ll get all ginned up and they’ll start sending out notices to everybody saying, look what’s coming down the pike. And a lot of times we are going to be applying common sense. And if somebody has an idea — if we don’t think it’s a good idea, if we don’t think that there’s more benefit than cost to it, we’re not going to do it.”
“I want to make sure that everybody gets accurate information,” Obama continued.
“If you ever have a question as to whether we’re putting something in place that’s going to make it harder for you to farm, contact USDA. Talk to them directly. Find out what it is that you’re concerned about. My suspicion is a lot of times they’re going to be able to answer your questions and it will turn out that some of your fears are unfounded.”
Obama also told the farmer, "Nobody is more interested in seeing our agricultural sector successful than I am, partly because I come from a farm state. And I spent a lot of time thinking about downstate issues as a United States senator.”
“And I’m very proud of the track record that we’ve developed,” the president continued. “If you look at what’s been happening in terms of agricultural exports — what’s been happening in terms of agricultural income during the time that I’ve been president of the United States — I think we’ve got a great story to tell. And I want to continue to work with you and other farmers to make sure that we’re doing it in the right way that’s not inhibiting you from being successful.”
Farmers and other rural leaders also expressed concern about regulation at the rural economic forum that Obama held in Iowa on Tuesday and at other events.
“There was a lot of concern about the dust regulation. Folks got worked up,” Vilsack said, discussing specific regulations in the phone call today. He noted that EPA was focused on a regulation on coarse material that causes premature death, not fine dust that occurs on farms.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson “has been clear about this,” Vilsack said, adding that he has been with her when she has told commodity groups this.
The situation is the same with the proposed wetlands regulation, he said, noting that EPA is not planning “to regulate ponds or puddles [that may fill up] when there are heavy rains.”
Vilsack said he will continue to work with EPA “to make sure as regulations come out that they make sense.”
He said he will also continue to work with EPA and the Department of Interior on a concept he calls “regulatory certainty.” Under this policy, if farmers are engaged in “a suite of conservation practices,” the farmer will be considered in compliance for a period of time.
Vilsack noted that the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service are using this approach to save habitat for the sage grouse while trying to avoid listing of that bird as an endangered species.
Vilsack said he wants to make sure “people know what is being proposed as compared to what they think is being proposed.”
The bus tour of Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois ended late Wednesday, when Obama returned to Washington. Vilsack made the announcements in a call to reporters from Iowa, where is scheduled to hold a session at the state fair on Friday.
Vilsack said the announcement of the 107 community facilities projects ranging from schools to nursing homes to purchases of police and fire vehicles completed a week of announcements in which the Obama administration was demonstrating its commitment to improving life in rural America. The projects will be funded through USDA’s Rural Development community facilities program.
“The funding we are announcing today will help rural communities remain attractive places for job creation and business expansion,” Vilsack said. “The Obama administration and USDA are committed to ensuring that rural communities remain economically competitive by offering residents access to quality health care services, modern library facilities and school buildings, and reliable emergency equipment and services."
The total cost of the grants and loans will be $55 million.
Following up on an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show this week in which he discussed the stimulative impact of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits known as SNAP or food stamps, Vilsack said the benefits move quickly through the economy and stimluate jobs because beneficiaries spend the money within the month in which they get the benefits.
Almost 46 million people are now on food stamps at an annual cost of $70 billion per year. The increased purchasing power, Vilsack said, stimulates agricultural production as well as processing, trucking and retail sales.
Asked whether the administration might address concerns farmers had expressed about regulation during Obama’s Midwestern tour, Vilsack said when a farmer asked a related question in Atkinson, Ill., Wednesday, “the president’s response was right on target.”
The farmer told Obama that he wanted to start his days driving his tractor, not filling out paper work. Obama asked the farmer for his specific concerns, and the farmer replied, “We hear what’s coming down about noise pollution, dust pollution, water runoff.”
Obama said, “If you hear something is happening, but it hasn’t happened, don’t always believe what you hear. … I’m serious about that. Because a lot of times, what will happen is the folks in Washington — there may be some staff person somewhere that wrote some article or said maybe we should look into something."
“And I’m being perfectly honest, the lobbyists and the associations in Washington, they’ll get all ginned up and they’ll start sending out notices to everybody saying, look what’s coming down the pike. And a lot of times we are going to be applying common sense. And if somebody has an idea — if we don’t think it’s a good idea, if we don’t think that there’s more benefit than cost to it, we’re not going to do it.”
“I want to make sure that everybody gets accurate information,” Obama continued.
“If you ever have a question as to whether we’re putting something in place that’s going to make it harder for you to farm, contact USDA. Talk to them directly. Find out what it is that you’re concerned about. My suspicion is a lot of times they’re going to be able to answer your questions and it will turn out that some of your fears are unfounded.”
Obama also told the farmer, "Nobody is more interested in seeing our agricultural sector successful than I am, partly because I come from a farm state. And I spent a lot of time thinking about downstate issues as a United States senator.”
“And I’m very proud of the track record that we’ve developed,” the president continued. “If you look at what’s been happening in terms of agricultural exports — what’s been happening in terms of agricultural income during the time that I’ve been president of the United States — I think we’ve got a great story to tell. And I want to continue to work with you and other farmers to make sure that we’re doing it in the right way that’s not inhibiting you from being successful.”
Farmers and other rural leaders also expressed concern about regulation at the rural economic forum that Obama held in Iowa on Tuesday and at other events.
“There was a lot of concern about the dust regulation. Folks got worked up,” Vilsack said, discussing specific regulations in the phone call today. He noted that EPA was focused on a regulation on coarse material that causes premature death, not fine dust that occurs on farms.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson “has been clear about this,” Vilsack said, adding that he has been with her when she has told commodity groups this.
The situation is the same with the proposed wetlands regulation, he said, noting that EPA is not planning “to regulate ponds or puddles [that may fill up] when there are heavy rains.”
Vilsack said he will continue to work with EPA “to make sure as regulations come out that they make sense.”
He said he will also continue to work with EPA and the Department of Interior on a concept he calls “regulatory certainty.” Under this policy, if farmers are engaged in “a suite of conservation practices,” the farmer will be considered in compliance for a period of time.
Vilsack noted that the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service are using this approach to save habitat for the sage grouse while trying to avoid listing of that bird as an endangered species.
Vilsack said he wants to make sure “people know what is being proposed as compared to what they think is being proposed.”
