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For Immediate Release: May 14, 2008
Congresswoman Sutton Supports Final Passage of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act Improves Domestic Food Assistance Programs, Aid for Food Banks, and Includes Rep. Sutton’s Dog Fighting Provisions
Today, Congresswoman Betty Sutton
voted in favor of the conference report for H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation
and Energy Act of 2008, which passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 318 to
106. As hardworking American families are faced with rising food costs
and a hunger crisis, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act makes numerous
improvements in domestic food assistance programs to help American families put
food on the table.
"The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act will strengthen
American agriculture to meet the 21st Century needs of the United States
with a safe and stable food supply," said Sutton. "I certainly hope
President Bush will resist his impulse to veto this bi-partisan bill, which
will provide a life-line to so many families in need."
"Earlier this year, I sent a letter urging quick action on
the conference report for this bill," said Sutton. "Chairman Peterson
responded by smoothing out the differences between the House and Senate
versions, and prepared a bill that will provide relief for the record numbers
of Americans who have unfortunately found themselves forced to turn to food
pantries and hunger centers. The bill provides $50 million to immediately
address shortages at food pantries and provides increased funding for the
Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides assistance to help
stock food banks and homeless shelters."
Nearly three-fourths of the Food, Conservation, and Energy
Act funding goes to nutrition programs aimed at making healthy food affordable,
while also updating the Food Stamp Program to reflect technological advances
and decrease abuse and fraud.
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act also contains
provisions from the Dog Fighting Prohibition Act, H.R. 3219, that Congresswoman
Sutton introduced last year. The provisions strengthen federal animal
fighting laws by making it a crime to knowingly possess or train animals for
fighting, enhancing the penalty for animal fighting offenses from a potential
three-year prison sentence to a maximum five-year prison sentence, and making
any animal fighting affecting interstate commerce or foreign commerce a federal
crime.
"I am pleased that this Democratic Congress is
continuing to crack down on the horrific practice of dog fighting," said
Sutton. "Legislation I introduced last year that has been included in
this bill will close loopholes in current animal welfare laws to enable police
and prosecutors to help eliminate what has become a malicious and lucrative
gambling business."
In addition, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act takes
another critical step in transitioning biofuels beyond corn by reducing the
current tax credit for corn-based ethanol and creating a new tax credit to
promote the production of cellulosic biofuels. This bill invests $1
billion in renewable energy focusing on new technologies and creates a new
program to encourage the production of new biomass for cellulosic ethanol and
other renewable energy initiatives.
Contact: Adri Jayaratne at 202-225-3401
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