BISMARCK, N.D. –Gov. John Hoeven this week met in Washington, D.C. with fellow governors, senior White House officials, and cabinet and military heads about agriculture, energy and military deployment policy.
AGRICULTURE – DISASTER AID AND NEW FARM BILL
Hoeven, along with S.D. Gov. Mike Rounds, met Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, Agriculture Advisor to the President Hunter Moorhead, and senior USDA staff to encourage support for agriculture disaster aid in the short term and a strong Farm Bill for the future.
Hoeven was there to push for support for a $3 billion agriculture disaster package that Congress may attach to the new Iraq supplemental budget bill. The plan has an option available for producers to apply aid to losses incurred during the 2005, 2006 or 2007 growing season.
Hoeven has been working with fellow governors to build support for disaster aid at the annual Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association. Last fall, he got more than 20 governors to sign on to a letter to congressional leaders in support of comprehensive drought assistance for farmers and ranchers. While in Washington, he has continued to press for their support.
“We have been working to get broad bipartisan support from a large part of the nation for the effort to help our farmers and ranchers,” Hoeven said. “We’ll continue to press for it and I believe it has a good chance of passing.”
Hoeven also discussed with Johanns the need to have either a disaster title or improvements to crop insurance in the upcoming Farm Bill.
The Administration is proposing a “gap” crop insurance program in the Farm Bill to manage risk not covered by the existing program. For most producers, it is affordable only to insure up to 70 percent of losses under the current crop insurance program. The new program would cover the remaining 30 percent with more reasonable premium costs, officials say.
“The Administration and Congress are moving in the right direction on crop insurance. They’re addressing this important issue, which we’ve worked very hard to get them to focus on,” Hoeven said. “We’ll have to study the details, and review them with our farmers and ranchers, as well as the farm associations, but this appears to take us a step closer.”
Hoeven said: “We need to get our farmers and ranchers in a secure position, and then we need to replace this cycle of ad hoc disaster bills with sensible, long-term legislation to provide our producers with the predictability they need to plan for the future,” Hoeven said. “That means a solid farm bill, with a counter-cyclical safety net, planting flexibility, support for renewable energy, a strong conservation title, and either adequate crop insurance or a disaster title.”
HOEVEN MEETS WITH ENERGY HEADS
Hoeven also met with U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to discuss opportunities for renewable energy development in the state, such as wind, ethanol, and biodiesel, as well as development of traditional energy sources using new technologies in environmentally friendly ways.
Hoeven detailed North Dakota’s progress in wind and biofuels development, highlighting the state’s comprehensive renewable energy plan and the need for strong federal incentives. He cited innovative North Dakota renewable projects, such as the Spiritwood Industrial Park, which is collocating a 100 million gallon ethanol plant, the largest malting barley facility in North America and a beneficiated coal electrical generating plant. The Governor asked Bodman for assistance from Department of Energy (DoE) for renewable energy research funding for cellusosic ethanol, switchgrass, and other new technologies, as well as tax incentives and loan guarantees for new projects.
“North Dakota’s renewable industry is finding new and more efficient ways to meet the nation’s demand for clean, alternative energy while creating good paying jobs for North Dakotans.” Hoeven said. “We’ll be working in the coming months with the Secretary to advance these renewable projects with federal resources.”
Hoeven and Bodman also discussed accessing research funding for carbon sequestration technology that will reduce greenhouse emissions and enhance oil and gas recovery. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, manages the Plains CO2 Reduction Partnership, which is researching the feasibility of capturing and storing carbon dioxide. The partnership is composed of nearly 50 private and public sector groups from nine states and three Canadian provinces.
“This is an area where North Dakota is leading the way to reduce carbon emissions,” Hoeven said. “The research and development being conducted right here in our state will help protect our environment and at the same time build our economy by producing more energy, while reducing CO2 into the atmosphere.”
In addition, Hoeven said DoE is writing regulations for $4 billion in loan guarantees for clean energy projects that should help the state’s Lignite Energy 21 projects advance.
“Federal loan guarantees can help speed development of our Lignite Vision 21 projects and clean energy development using innovative new technologies in environmentally friendly ways,” Hoeven said. “We’re working with the Secretary to channel some of these new resources to North Dakota, where they will generate new businesses, good jobs and higher wages for our people.”
Hoeven also met with Ken Krieg, Under Secretary of Defense, and Michael Aimone, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for the Air Force. Aimone is the Air Force lead for a study that is looking at North Dakota as a test sites to determine the feasibility and costs associated with production of jet fuel from coal.
“We’re pressing for research opportunities and purchase agreements that will leverage our resources in ways that help our state, and our nation,” Hoeven said. “We are well positioned to make a significant contribution in this area.”
HOEVEN MEETS WITH CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
Hoeven and other Governors met Tuesday with U.S. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Governor emphasized the importance of limiting overseas deployments of the National Guard to 12 months, rather than the 18 months that has been policy. This is something Hoeven has worked on with the National Guard Bureau to change; the Pentagon recently announced it would make the policy change.
“Our men and women in the National Guard do an outstanding job for our state and our nation, and their families and employers also make sacrifices,” Hoeven said. “We need to be mindful of the burden we place on them and make sure we do all we can to assist. We truly appreciate their service.”
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