After learning about the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for H.R. 6709, the The National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act of 2008, we contacted Congressman Walz's communications director Meredith Salsbery to find out if other groups had lent their support to the proposed legislation. We already knew that the National Association of Manufacturers had issued a supportive statement.
Salsbury suggested that we contact the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. In a brief phone interview, the MFBF's National Issues Specialist Staci Bohlen confirmed that the group had decided to support H.R. 6709. The largest of Minnesota's two most well-known farm advocacy groups*, the MFBF is widely perceived to be the more conservative of the pair. The MFBF's 2008 priority issues are outlined here.
At the recent Farmfest debate, GOP endorsed congressional candidate Brian Davis repeatedly returned to his "drill here, drill now" mantra for nearly every question, while Congressman Walz brought up his work with the House Energy Working Group when asked about measures to address rising energy and input costs. As a member of the bipartisan group, Walz helped draft H.R. 6709. (Like Congressman Walz, GOP primary challenger Dick Day also stayed on topic for the panelists' questions).
The Red Wing Republican Eagle slapped the headline Drilling debate strikes oil in Minnesota farm country on Don Davis's coverage of the Farmfest congressional candidate forum. The state Farm Bureau's support of H.R. 6709 suggests the group finds Congressman Walz's approach productive.
The group's political action committee, the Minnesota Farm Bureau PAC, has yet to endorse a candidate in the race (in 2006, it endorsed former Congressman Gil Gutknecht, who served on the House Ag committee). Walz has been endorsed by the National Farmers Union's PAC.
In Conservatives reject compromise, the Mankato Free Press's editorial board also expressed approval of the House Energy Working Group's approach. The board writes--it's not completely clear if they're talking about the efforts in the House, Senate or both:
Playing politics with an issue as serious as the energy crisis that is gripping our nation seems unconscionable. Now is the time for the two parties to come to a compromise solution, and to bring it about as quickly as possible.
So it’s disappointing that some conservative Republicans in Congress seem to be saying they are unwilling to compromise with Democrats, even as House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and presidential candidate Barack Obama are shifting their positions more toward the center.
A group of Republicans and Democrats in Congress have put forth a proposal that would open up more acreage in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida for drilling and allow certain states such as Georgia, North Carolina and others to allow more drilling off their shores.
As part of the compromise, the plan would raise money for conservation and energy efficiency programs by repealing some of the tax breaks oil companies receive.
Some conservative Republicans want to torpedo the compromise because they feel it will take away one of the key issues they have against Democrats in the fall election, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal. . . .
Go read the rest at the Free Press. Congressman Walz's general approach to governing--engaging people across the political spectrum to work together to solve problems--is gaining support when applied to energy policy. Uncompromising sloganeering? Not so much.
* Disclosure: as we have noted before, we are a member of the Minnesota Farmers Union.
Note: We've edited this post to clarify that the Mankato Free Press doesn't specifically mention H.R. 6709. However, we think it's fair to cite the editorial as evidence that the paper supports bipartisan compromise in both the House and Senate, rather than "my way or the highway" positions from both sides of the aisle.
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