FB President Speaks Out on Legislation

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The President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Bob Stallman, is happy with the decision by Senate leadership to delay consideration of climate change legislation until the spring of 2010. Stallman says, - this move offers a great opportunity for lawmakers to go back to the drawing board and re-assess the need for this legislation and the impact it will have on all Americans. Climate change legislation now being considered would have farmers and ranchers seeing higher fuel, fertilizer and energy costs. And the cap-and-trade provisions would do little more than downsize American agriculture and our ability to produce food in this nation. Stallman is also speaking out, this time in support of H.R. 3227, which would provide for the extension and expansion of the charitable deduction for donated food. In his message to the House Ways and Means Committee, Stallman pointed out that, - H.R. 3227 makes the enhanced tax incentive permanent and expands the deduction so that farmers and ranchers who use cash basis accounting will also be able to recover some of their harvest and transportation costs. Stallman believes that many more farmers and ranchers would donate food if they were able to bear the costs of harvesting and transporting food from fields to food banks.