The Oklahoman: Lucas- Rural America Being Targeted by Obama
Jun 03, 2010
In The News
U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, and Reps. Doc Hastings, R-Washington, and Sam Graves, R-Missouri, had this opinion piece published today in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper.
Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be in Hillsboro
As Co-Chairs of the Rural America Solutions Group, we hope the event will mark a turning point in the Obama Administration’s agenda for rural America America
Put simply, the Obama Administration and the Democrat Congress are out-of-touch with the needs of the people who keep this country running—farmers, ranchers, small business owners, and the hard working families that call rural America home. It seems as if we wake up every day to find government bureaucrats in Washington , D.C.
Today, rural Americans are in the cross-hairs of several job-killing policies that threaten to destroy their livelihoods. One example is the proposed national energy tax. Democrats in Congress have been arrogantly pursuing an ill-conceived cap and trade program that will slam rural families and businesses with a national energy tax. As a result, electricity prices would skyrocket, gas prices would balloon and thousands of jobs in rural America
In a two-pronged attack, President Obama is also instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impose harmful new regulations and mandates on carbon emissions and energy consumption. This government power grab would give the EPA unprecedented authority to regulate anything that emits carbon—including semi-trucks, tractors, lawnmowers and even weed-whackers.
Additionally, the Administration and Majority Leaders in Congress are working on a plan that would radically expand the EPA’s authority over production agriculture. They have introduced a bill that would broaden the scope of the Clean Water Act by bringing nearly every body of water—from small creeks and ponds to seasonal mud puddles—under the unlimited jurisdiction of the federal government. This massive expansion of authority would create new hurdles for small businesses and dramatically raise the cost of running a farm.
Bureaucrats in Washington , D.C. think they know what’s best for rural America
It’s unfortunate that someone who ran for president on a platform of hope and change would pursue policies that bring frustration and heartache to our rural communities.
Hosting a Rural Summit will do nothing to help rural Americans unless Washington , D.C.
In order to quickly rebuild and revitalize America
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