BATTLE OVER AG CLIMATE SOLUTIONS: House Agriculture Committee Republicans introduced a package of bills on Friday to address climate change through agricultural initiatives, your host reports, in a bid to compete with measures being pushed by Democrats. What's in the package: The package includes five bills that vary in focus. Some look at forest management, while others provide incentives for state governments and increasing public-private partnerships. House Agriculture ranking member G.T. Thompson (R-Penn.) said the package is meant to be an alternative to the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which is expected to be introduced by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in the coming weeks. Not a debate on climate change: Thompson told reporters that "We are not debating whether or not climate change is real; those days are over. The debate is simply how to best address climate change." Thompson said while GOP members will be working to gain bipartisan support for the bills, the issues are not pressing. "I don't believe there is a need for immediate, must-pass climate legislation in agriculture," Thompson said. "I view these bills as discussion drafts and look to improve upon these proposals as Congress debates these issues." Democrats' response: Proponents of the Growing Climate Solutions Act say an alternative is not necessary because their proposal, also introduced in the last session, has bipartisan support. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) sponsored the bill last time with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) as a cosponsor. This time, the Democratic bill would also look to create public-private partnerships, as well as increase access to carbon markets. A Democratic Senate aide tells your host they have gathered support from over 50 farm and conservation groups. Asking for a USDA review: Thompson also told reporters that he is working with Committee Chair David Scott (D-Ga.) on organizing a hearing to review the 2018 farm bill's climate initiatives to see how they have worked over the last three years. "We are a year and a half behind and a lot of that has had to do with Covid," Thompson said. "But we need to start oversight, we need to hear from USDA and get a status check on every part of the farm bill." CELEBRATING EARTH DAY WITH A SUMMIT: Biden's climate leader summit takes place later this week and he is expected to unveil new pledges and discuss options with world leaders to fight rising temperatures. Biden invited 40 world leaders — including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin — to virtually attend the event which will also be available for public viewing. The two-day event kicks off on Thursday, which is also Earth Day, and Biden is expected to set a target range for U.S. emissions reduction. Administration officials hope a significant cut will pressure both allies and rivals to follow suit, POLITICO Pro Energy's Zack Colman reports. "But most foreign leaders are expected to show up empty-handed," Zack writes. "The recent shuttle diplomacy by special climate envoy John Kerry through the Middle East and India, as well as last-minute trips to Shanghai and Seoul this week, are expected to yield little, if any, new commitments from major carbon polluters like China, the world's largest, and India, the third biggest." ON A DOMESTIC CLIMATE NOTE: House GOP members also introduced legislation on Friday that would require a new Paris Accord "to ensure China is reaching emissions reductions in line with those sought by the U.S.," while also requiring "that any altered emissions reduction pledge should be submitted to Congress," POLITICO Pro's Anthony Adragna reports. The bill would also require a plan and timeline for reducing emissions while ensuring American jobs and competitiveness are not affected. The Republican push comes days before Biden's Climate Leaders Summit this week. SULFOXAFLOR BATTLE CONTINUES: The Environmental Protection Agency last week asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, once again, to allow farmers to use sulfoxaflor while it reviews the pesticide's effect on bees and other endangered species. They argue that vacating the 2019 amendments and not allowing the use of the pesticide "could have a disastrous effect on growers across the country," according to the brief filed, because it could create potential loss of crops or other disruptions. The back-and-forth in the courts: In 2015, the 9th Circuit overruled the EPA's approval of sulfoxaflor, pulling it from the market over the agency's inability to prove it didn't pose a chemical risk to bees. The EPA then asked the manufacturer of sulfoxaflor, Dow AgroSciences (now Corteva Agriscience), for more data. But the pesticide was brought back by the EPA in 2016, toward the end of the Obama administration, with new rules and permission for use on select crops that are less attractive to pollinators. In 2019, the EPA expanded the range of crops that sulfoxaflor could be applied to. That resulted in lawsuits from the Pollinator Stewardship Council and American Beekeeping Federation, who are represented by the environmental group Earthjustice. The Center for Food Safety and Center for Biological Diversity also challenged the EPA's 2019 expansion. In the brief, the agency admits that it did not comply with the Endangered Species Act prior to its 2019 action. In January: The federal appeals court rejected a similar EPA request that would have allowed farmers to continue use of the pesticide while potential harm to endangered species is examined.
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment