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Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007

Floor Speech

Date: Dec. 11, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Senior Citizens Business and Consumers Entitlements and the Safety Net Agriculture and Food Energy


FARM, NUTRITION, AND BIOENERGY ACT OF 2007--Continued -- (Senate - December 11, 2007)

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Mr. SANDERS. As I mentioned a moment ago, I come from a State, as do many others in the Senate, where the weather gets cold--sometimes 20 or 30 degrees below zero. I come from a State, as do many other Members, where many folks are finding it extremely difficult this year to pay for their home heating fuel costs because, as we all know, costs are soaring. It is not unusual when I walk the streets of Burlington, VT, or other towns in the State of Vermont, that people are appalled and frightened about the rapidly escalating costs of home heating oil, and they are in need of help.

As you know, Mr. President, the LIHEAP program has been an enormously successful program in providing help to many Americans in paying their heating bills, especially the senior citizens.

So what this amendment would do--and I will talk at greater length about it tomorrow--is provide $924 million in increased LIHEAP funding because we need that funding now.

We need to see LIHEAP significantly increased beyond where it is right now if for no other reason than to simply keep pace with the outrageous increase in costs for home heating.

Further, it is my view, and why I am offering this amendment, that it is wrong to be cutting into agriculture disaster assistance for farmers. There are disasters and there will be disasters. If we are serious about maintaining family-based agriculture in America, it is important those provisions be maintained. That is essentially what that amendment is about.

I ask unanimous consent to lay aside the pending amendment and call up an amendment that I send to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. MENENDEZ). Is there objection?

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I inquire of the Senator, is this an amendment that was not on our list that we have already received unanimous consent on?

Mr. SANDERS. I believe that is the case.

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