Inflation Reduction Act Arguments Draw Stark Party Contrast On Ag Impacts

House Democrats and Republicans did political battle over the impacts the just-passed ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ will have on agriculture.

Democrats claim their bill that President Biden plans to sign this week will help farmers with everything from climate and conservation to energy.

Virginia Representative Abigail Spanberger; “Farmers are the original conservationists, and their expertise cannot be ignored, if we are going to meet our shared climate goals, while also bringing greater investments to rural America, strengthening our farmers’ bottom lines and lowering the cost of inputs.”

Not Kentucky Republican Brett Guthrie’s view of the bill’s ‘green energy’ provisions; “The methane emissions reduction program is a natural gas tax, that will impact the entire economy, natural gas tax will make everything more expensive for American families, the natural gas tax will increase the price of fuel, fertilizer and fuel. This bill will give EPA sweeping authority to expand the natural gas tax to other sectors, including agriculture.”

While Spanberger points to the measure’s billions for conservation; “We can make investments in our nation’s producers, by investing in existing voluntary conservation programs at USDA, and that’s what this legislation does.”

With 19 billion in voluntary conservation through EQIP, RCPP, CSP, REAP, Ag easements and technical help, plus five billion for wildfire mitigation and 500 (M) for higher-blend biofuels infrastructure.