Washington, May 8 - Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) today released the following statement on news that the House-Senate Farm Bill conference committee has reached a final agreement:

“I applaud the conference committee reaching an agreement on the Farm Bill, and I’m excited that my New Era program boosting renewable energy workforce education is a part of the agreed-upon bill. 

“To make Iowa the renewable energy leader of the world, our state must train and educate a workforce with the skills needed to research and produce renewable fuels.  The New Era program is designed to fill this demand by creating a workforce education program in renewable energy technology to be implemented by community colleges across the country.

“Furthermore, the Farm Bill makes important progress in moving agriculture forward.  The bill takes a first step to ensure farm subsidies go to the family farmers that really need them—rather than big corporate farms.  The Farm Bill also will help ease the strain of rising food prices, make further investments in the next generation of renewable fuels, and enhance rural economic development.  I hope the President will quickly sign this critical legislation into law.”

The New Era Act was the first bill introduced by Rep. Braley as a member of Congress.  Braley introduced the bill in February 2007 to create a grant program for community colleges starting renewable energy job training programs.  The bill was incorporated into both the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill, and is part of the House-Senate conference committee’s agreement on the Farm Bill.