For Immediate Release
January 13, 2009

  

      GRASSLEY:  Today, I'm sending a letter, along with Senator Baucus -- Senator Baucus is my counterpart on the Senate Finance Committee -- we're writing to the U.S. International Trade Commission asking for a study of the agricultural markets in India.  We've asked that the study include the effects of tariff and non-tariff measures on U.S. agricultural exports to that country. 

 

      It's important that we look at India because it's one of the world's largest economies but our farm products make up only a small part of India's agriculture markets.  The information we're requesting in the letter will put us in a better position to determine how to further open India to U.S. agricultural exports, including Iowa products. 

 

      Also, on Wednesday, along with Senator Harkin, I'll help introduce former Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack to the Senate Agriculture Committee.  Governor Vilsack will be answering questioning from the committee members on a number of subjects.  I'll be discussing my support for payment limits, competition provisions in the Farm Bill.  And that's just to name a few of the issues I'm going to discuss with him. 

 

      I have no doubt that Governor Vilsack will be an excellent representative for Iowa at the department.  And at this time, I don't see any hurdles standing in the way of Governor Vilsack becoming Secretary Vilsack. 

 

      Tom Yankton (ph)?

 

      QUESTION:  Good morning, Senator. 

 

      Senator, they've implemented the final rule on the country of origin labeling and some of the ag groups aren't real happy with parts of what they've implemented, including the allowing of a mixed-country origin. 

 

      I'm curious how do you feel about that?  Will you be doing anything to see that they correct that? 

 

      GRASSLEY:  Well, we could be.  But right now I think the devil is in the details.  And I need a little bit of time to see how it's going to be implemented.  And we'll, obviously, react accordingly because I've been a strong supporter of COOL over a long period of time. 

 

      But I think that we just need for time to see how it's going to be implemented.  I'm well aware of groups on both sides speaking about shortcomings of it or other people being satisfied that maybe it's got enough of leeway to accommodate other interests.  I think we just have to wait and see. 

 

      But, obviously, I've been a supporter of COOL from its first implementation in the 2002 Farm Bill.  I shouldn't say "implementation;" its passage in that bill and now finally getting implementation under way.

 

      Gene, Iowa Farmer?

 

      QUESTION:  No questions today, Senator. 

 

      GRASSLEY:  OK.  Julie at Brownfield?

 

      QUESTION:  Good morning.  With the development of the U.S. Soybean Federation, does that make to know soybean groups, or is this group warranted, in your opinion? 

 

      GRASSLEY:  Well, at this point, you know, under our freedom of association -- under the Constitution, anybody can associate with anybody they want to.  And I think we're going to have to wait to see what the impact of it is.  But you could dilute our voice of agriculture too much.  But it's -- when you get a new organization starting up, you just don't know until it's underway a while. 

 

      QUESTION:  Do you believe that there should be an OIG investigation of the USC and the U.S. Soybean Export Council?

 

      GRASSLEY:  Well, at this point, you know, I only feel that investigations are important from the standpoint that people that feel there's an investigation that we have a process put in place for such investigations.  And such things are used to settle differences of opinion and find out if anything is wrong.  And if things are wrong, this all falls within the area of the inspector general and we ought to let the inspector general do his job. 

 

      Bob at WHO?

 

      Chris Clayton, Omaha?

 

      Stacia, National Farmers Broadcasters?

 

      Gordon, Arkansas Radio?

 

      Jean at Agrinews, Cedar Falls?

 

      OK.  I've gone through the entire list.  Anybody else jump in that I haven't called or...

 

      QUESTION:  Senator Grassley, this is Dan Looker.  I'm sorry I got in on the call a little bit late. 

 

      GRASSLEY:  Go ahead, Dan. 

 

      QUESTION:  I just wondered if you had any more sense of what may be in the Finance Committee's portion of the stimulus package.  I talked to some folks on your staff yesterday about the Section 179 expensing and I just wondered if you know any more than you did a week ago. 

 

      GRASSLEY:  No.  But it's pretty clear that everything we're going to do -- there's not a lot of new stuff.  Extension of existing things, as 179 is, is other salary depreciation (inaudible) as well.  And a lot of the things we're doing on renewable energy and conservation of energy.  There might be a little bit new in some of the conservation ends of it, but most of the production ends -- most of it's a continuation of tax incentives that have already been in place but extending them for a longer period of time. 

 

      I think that there is one difference that maybe would be a difference.  Not on a specific part of the energy bill, but we originally was (sic) having talk about 12 to $15 billion worth of energy tax credits and most of the those would be extensions.  There probably will be some broadening of that by a significant amount -- maybe doubling or more.  

 

      And maybe there will be some of that used for conservation.  And there might be some broadening of definitions we have now like in the area of biomass is one example.  But nothing that really sticks out that's particularly newsworthy. 

 

      QUESTION:  OK.  Thank you very much. 

 

      GRASSLEY:  Yes.  OK.  Anybody else? 

 

      OK.  Thank you all very much.