We are now just hours away from 2008 and I’m excited about the possibilities that a New Year brings. My hope for the New Year is that Congress will finally complete important legislative work. When the second session begins in mid-January we will have much work to do.

 

I’m hoping that Congress will pass a farm bill that works for Missourians. The House passed version was a good compromise that worked for Missouri producers. The Senate passed its version of the bill right before the last session ended. We will begin the hard work of getting both chambers to agree on a final version. America has the safest, most-abundant food supply in the world and I will be working to keep it that way.

 

I also want Congress to take bolder steps in our energy policy. I supported a bill that the President signed to increase the fuel efficiency standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. It also increased the renewable fuels standard to 36 million gallons by 2022. While those are both good changes, they are not the bold step we need to end our dependency on foreign oil. We need to increase American sources of energy, increase the number of refineries and invest in new technologies.

 

As the curtain comes down on 2007, I hope the New Year will bring prosperity, health and good luck to you and your family. New Years are always full of hope and promise for what is to come. I hope that Congress can finally get this important work done in 2008.

 

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