"In the News"

The Hill: Italy, Switzerland added to congressional anti-piracy watch list
By Jennifer Martinez
September 20, 2012
Hyperlink

The Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus on Thursday named China, Russia, Italy, Switzerland and Ukraine to its annual watch list of countries that need to step up their enforcement of intellectual property rights.

This is the first year Italy and Switzerland have appeared on the list. The Anti-Piracy Caucus said both countries lack adequate laws that crack down on online piracy and protect copyrighted movies, music and other content from being offered on illegitimate websites.

The Anti-Piracy Caucus releases the watch list each year to put a spotlight on countries it believes are failing to protect copyrighted material and clamp down on websites that offer pirated content. In its report, the caucus also makes recommendations on how each country can improve its copyright enforcement efforts and eventually be removed from the list.

"Our creative industries employ millions of Americans and are some of our most competitive exports," Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a statement. "All we want is a level playing field where all nations live up to their obligations to protect intellectual property and enforce existing laws.”

China, Russia and Ukraine were all featured on the watch list last year. The Anti-Piracy Caucus argued in its report that Russia should take action against the websites included in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's "Notorious Markets" list of infringing sites since it's now a member of the World Trade Organization.

While the Anti-Piracy Caucus says piracy remains rampant in China, it acknowledged that popular Chinese sites Baidu and Taobao have strengthened their efforts to clamp down on pirated material.

Both Canada and Spain were on the list last year but have been deemed "countries in transition" after they recently passed anti-piracy legislation. The Anti-Piracy Caucus said in its report that it hopes to see both countries continue to strengthen their copyright laws.

Other than Schiff, members of the Anti-Piracy Caucus include Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).

The members supported a pair of anti-piracy bills that were defeated earlier this year after a wave of online protests forced Congress to shelve them. Goodlatte and Schiff were co-sponsors of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Whitehouse and Hatch both were co-sponsors of the Protect IP Act (PIPA), though Hatch later reversed his support for the bill on the day Wikipedia, Reddit and scores of other sites blacked out to protest the anti-piracy bills.

Both measures aimed to crack down on copyright-infringing sites based abroad and would have forced search engines, online ad companies and others to cut off business with the sites if served with a court order. Critics said the bills lacked due process and would hamper innovation on the Web.

Copyright protection is a top policy issue for the entertainment industry's lobby shops in Washington. Although the entertainment lobbies continue to push for stepped-up anti-piracy measures, it's unlikely that Congress will act on legislation this year after SOPA and PIPA went down in defeat.

****************************

Daily News Record: Goodlatte Discusses Effects Of Ethanol Mandate During Stop On Valley Tour
By Candace Sipos
September 19, 2012
Hyperlink

HARRISONBURG — Surrounded by local poultry growers and industry leaders, Rep. Bob Goodlatte explained Tuesday why he believes EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson should put the ethanol mandate on hold.

A crowd of roughly 20 people gathered around the congressman at the Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative Inc.’s grain unloading site off Gravels Road north of Harrisonburg.

The Roanoke Republican, who represents Virginia’s 6th District, also stopped at Maple Springs Farm in Weyers Cave as he concluded his two-day Valley tour in which he focused on the mandate that requires about half the nation’s corn crop to go toward the production of ethanol for fuel.

In light of the ongoing drought that has significantly reduced the expected yields from the nation’s biggest corn-producing states in the Midwest and Great Plains, a slew of politicians, farmers and industry leaders have called for a temporary waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard, or ethanol mandate.

The RFS requires that an increasing amount of corn go toward ethanol production each year in the name of energy independence. For the first time, more U.S. corn will go into ethanol production than food this year.

Proponents of the temporary waiver say the RFS is raising grain prices, which are especially high now because of the drought. Consumers, they say, will ultimately bear the burden, as decreased supply and steady demand means higher prices for food items in the store.

A waiver of the mandate would provide a measure of relief, according to supporters of the move.

And if more farmers try to plant corn because of higher profit margins, they may plant less of other crops, causing the entire agricultural system to become unbalanced, Goodlatte added.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the mandate, announced a 30-day public comment period regarding the potential waiver in August. The announcement came soon after the EPA received a letter in support of the waiver signed by 156 members of Congress, including Goodlatte.

Jackson will make a decision on whether to use her authority to temporarily waive the mandate by mid-November.
 
 “If these circumstances don’t justify a waiver … then the waiver provision is a sham,” said Hobey Bauhan, president of the Harrisonburg-based Virginia Poultry Federation, before introducing Goodlatte.

If Jackson doesn’t waive the RFS, Goodlatte plans to amp up a push of two bills he introduced last October.

One would eliminate the fuel standard completely. The other would link the amount of corn required to meet the mandate to the size of the nation’s corn yield, essentially creating an automatic waiver of the mandate during a corn shortage.

“You see [the mandate] affecting food prices across-the-board,” Goodlatte said. “It’s the federal government interfering in the marketplace.”

Last year, the average cost of a bushel of corn was $6.80 and a ton of soybean meal cost around $344 on average. Corn prices have been hovering around $8 per bushel since the drought hit, with soybean meal costing more than $550 per ton.

James Mason, president of the cooperative, said filling the site’s two silos, which hold 300,000 bushels of grain each, cost about $2 million in 2006. Once the ethanol mandate was introduced, that number rose to about $3.5 million, and it’s climbed to roughly $5.5 million in the past three months.

The company ships about 125,000 bushels of grain to the feed mill in Broadway each week. The cooperative buys about 1 million bushels of corn from growers within a two-hour radius, which sustains the company’s needs for about eight weeks.

For the other 44 weeks, the cooperative has to buy corn from the Midwest.

Any jump in corn prices hurts local farmers and, in turn, Rockingham County, according to David Rees, who has produced turkeys for the cooperative since it started.

“In this coming year, we’ll be getting paid significantly less,” he said.

****************************

Daily News Leader: Goodlatte calls for suspension of ethanol mandate
By Calvin Trice
September 19, 2012
Hyperlink

STAUNTON — Since nature has pushed corn prices higher by making it scarce, the government should remove what U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte believes is an unnatural cause for higher food prices: a federal mandate to turn food into fuel, the congressman said.

Goodlatte, R-6th, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to suspend the federal rule that a certain amount of corn produced in the U.S. be sold to make ethanol. The EPA set a public comment period on the request.

The federal mandate to turn corn into fuel has caused prices to prices to soar for the commodity, he said during a stop in Staunton on Tuesday while on a tour of farm operations to highlight the issue.

This year’s drought in the Midwest has cut corn production, which will cause prices to go up even further for farmers who use corn to feed their animals, for grocery stores, consumers and food-related consumption and businesses near and far, Goodlatte said.

Higher food prices here means others in poorer countries could start going hungry, he said inside Staunton Union Stockyard.

“When food prices go up for corn, it’s internationally — not just here domestically,” Goodlatte said. “If you only make a few hundred dollars a year, and most of your income goes to food, you’re really being very detrimentally affected by this.”

The congressman sent a letter signed by 156 congressional representatives from both parties to EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson asking that she suspend or reduce the ethanol rule, which is called the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Since the rule was first put into effect in 2005, the proportion of corn used to produce fuel has grown to 40 percent, Goodlatte notes in the letter.

It isn’t the only commodity used, but Goodlatte thinks corn should be sold according to demand rather than federally mandated uses, he said Tuesday.

Besides the stockyard, a livestock auction business, Goodlatte this week toured a poultry farm, a cattle farm and other operations to talk about the impact of the ethanol rule and to let those affected know that they can weigh in during the public comment period.

“We’re telling people that they have the opportunity to participate in the process,” he said.

****************************

News Virginian: Seventy two new citizens sworn in at Frontier Culture Museum
By Bob Stuart
September 19, 2012
Hyperlink

STAUNTON, Va. -- Six years ago, Andy Bindea arrived in the United States from his native Romania with only a backpack and dreams.

On Tuesday, the owner of the Waynesboro renewable energy business Sigora Solar joined 71 others in becoming new United States citizens. All were naturalized during a swearing-in ceremony at the Frontier Culture Museum.

“This is phenomenal. This is the best day of my life,” said Bindea. He felt overwhelmed about being a part of “something so fantastic” as the United States.

And he said it would feel good to say, “I’m an American from Virginia.” Other new citizens expressed similar sentiments. New citizen Julian Alleyne said he arrived in country from Barbados to study.

“I fell in love with the country and that is why I’m here,” Alleyne said. Another new citizen said his citizenship came just after he celebrated his 40th anniversary of arriving in America.

“I believe in the dream. All of us need to be dreamers,” the man said.

The new citizens were given a brief lesson their new rights and responsibilities by 6th District Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. The congressman told the new citizens they have the right to free speech, free religion, the right to private property and the right to travel anywhere in this free land.

But Goodlatte said citizenship also means responsibility. There is the civic duty to vote, to obey the laws and to respect your fellow citizens.

“I hope you become an active participant in our society,” said Goodlatte, who said the drive and passion exhibited by the new citizens resembled that of those who fire came to America centuries ago.

Several schools attended Tuesday’s ceremony. Students from Clymore Elementary in Fort Defiance were in attendance as were students from Stuart Hall Middle School in Staunton, Ridgeview Christian School in Stuarts Draft, Parry McClure Middle School in Buena Vista and the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in Staunton.

****************************

Richmond Times Dispatch: Bauhan et al.: Waive the ethanol standard for Virginia
By HOBEY BAUHAN et al
September 17, 2012
Hyperlink

Last month, Gov. Bob McDonnell petitioned Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to waive the federally mandated Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Virginia's chicken, turkey, dairy, beef and pork producers and processors applaud him. This is not a partisan issue; this is about saving Virginia jobs, the commonwealth's economy and our farms, and keeping food affordable.

The crop report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in August showed the drought that is decimating the U.S. Corn Belt has destroyed a sixth of the country's corn crop in just one month. Yet, the RFS mandates that a certain percentage of corn ethanol be blended into gasoline each year – no matter what.

Corn is the No. 1 ingredient in poultry, dairy, and hog feed, and feed is the single biggest cost in raising livestock and poultry. With this year's drought, however, there may not be enough corn to go around. Corn prices already have soared to record levels, and Virginia's livestock and poultry producers are being hit, and hard — to the tune of more than $330 million in added costs.

"Although the severe drought that our nation has experienced is an underlying factor in current economic conditions, the direct harm is caused by the RFS requirement to utilize ever-increasing amounts of corn and soybeans for transportation fuel, severely increasing the costs of producing food and further depleting already severely stressed grain supplies," McDonnell said in his petition.

He is right. The economic impact is happening already here at home. Livestock and poultry producers' livelihoods are being threatened as they are forced to pay record-breaking costs to feed their animals. As the trickledown effect occurs, average Virginians soon will see this price increase at their grocery store. In a tough economic time, our citizens do not need to have an even harder time putting food on the table.

In 2007, Congress gave the EPA administrator the authority to waive in part or in whole the RFS requirement for just this situation. Because of the impact the RFS has on the availability of corn in this drought situation, we support the governor's petition asking EPA to issue a waiver for the RFS now. And we're not the only ones. The petition is supported by the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, National Pork Producers Council and National Cattleman's Beef Association, among other groups. Twelve bipartisan members of the Virginia congressional delegation have also called for an RFS waiver, including: U.S. Sens. Jim Webb (D) and Mark Warner (D), and Reps. Rob Wittman (R-1); Scott Rigell (R-2); Bobby Scott (D-3); Randy Forbes (R-4); Robert Hurt (R-5); Bob Goodlatte (R-6); Jim Moran (D-8); Morgan Griffith (R-9); Frank Wolf (R- 10), and Gerald Connolly (D-11).

Poultry and livestock are vital parts of Virginia's economy. The farm market value of all livestock and poultry sold in Virginia exceeds $1.7 billion annually and represents more than 70 percent of all agricultural farm market value for the commonwealth. These industries support tens of thousands of jobs in the commonwealth and thousands of family farms.

On behalf of Virginia's poultry and livestock producers and processors, we thank Gov. McDonnell and the 12 members of the Virginia congressional delegation for stepping up and demanding that the right thing be done.

****************************

Lynchburg News & Advance: Two Lynchburg-area congressmen receive award
By Staff
September 13, 2012
Hyperlink

Two Lynchburg-area congressmen are among 292 senators and representatives who received the Guardian of Small Business award Thursday from the National Federation of Independent Business.

Reps. Robert Hurt, R-5th District, and Robert Goodlatte, R-6th District, were recognized for voting favorably on what the NFIB considers key small-business issues at least 70 percent of the time.

Three other Virginians also received the award: Reps. Eric Cantor, R-7th District, Randy Forbes, R-4th District, and Frank Wolf, R-10th District.

************************

Examiner: Revenue-hungry states target out-of-state businesses
By Editorial Staff
September 12, 2012
Hyperlink

With Congress seemingly paralyzed by partisan gridlock, it's good to see a Republican and a Democrat from a battleground state working together to promote the common good. That's what Virginia Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R, and Bobby Scott, D, did last year when they co-sponsored the Business Activity Tax Simplification Act. The purpose of the bill is to prohibit states from imposing corporate income taxes on companies with no physical presence within their borders. It is intended to protect businesses from tax grabs by 30 revenue-hungry states.

Corey Schroeder, CFO of Outdoor Living Brands -- a small Richmond design firm that licenses intellectual property to franchisees -- told The Washington Examiner that even though all 30 employees and all physical assets of his company are located in Virginia, he is forced to file corporate income tax returns in Arizona, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin, at a cost exceeding $40,000 annually. Most small companies cannot afford the extensive legal costs needed to challenge this particularly brazen form of taxation without representation.

More and more state officials are targeting out-of-state businesses because it is less politically damaging than raising taxes on actual constituents, says Maggi Lazarus, an attorney representing the Coalition for Interstate Tax Fairness and Job Growth. But the practice has led to many abuses.

For example, a small graphics company in Texas was forced to pay $115,000 in corporate income taxes to seven states in which it has no physical presence. New Jersey regularly impounds trucks traveling along its interstates until their out-of-state owners pay up. And a Florida boat manufacturer with no property, employees or bank accounts in Michigan was assessed $376,000 in gross receipts taxes on just $100,000 of annual sales in that state. This kind of interference in interstate commerce is exactly what the Commerce Clause was intended to prevent.

In his April 2011 testimony before a House subcommittee, Goodlatte noted the bill would "provide a 'bright line' test to clarify state and local authority to collect business activity taxes from out-of-state entities" without affecting states' rights to impose taxes or go after companies that try to use shell subsidiaries or other tricks to avoid paying their fair share. The only difference is that their enforcement activity would be confined to companies that have an actual physical presence within their borders.

***************************

Politico: Too-familiar ring to Chinese devices
By Michelle Quinn
September 11, 2012
Hyperlink

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone on Wednesday, but the talk on Capitol Hill isn’t about Cupertino — it’s about China.

Lawmakers of both parties have long complained that China’s tech companies aren’t playing by the rules of fair trade.

The latest example is Goophone, a Chinese company that makes a device that looks and feels a lot like the iPhone 5, which Apple is expected to unveil Wednesday.

Some in Washington have seized on Goophone as the quintessential example of what is wrong with international enforcement of American intellectual property rights, the perils of a global supply chain and the barriers U.S. companies face when trying to access the Chinese market.

“China is in a whale of a fight if they think they can steal the iPhone,” Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), an iPhone user, told POLITICO. “This should be a warning to those seeking to manufacture in China to save a buck.”

Congress has held three hearings to address Chinese violations of intellectual property rights in recent months, and a key lawmaker said he would push for the issue to be raised during the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade meeting later this year between top commerce officials in both countries. Meanwhile, the U.S. Trade Representative has been in discussions with Chinese officials over patent issues like those associated with Goophone, and both parties have agreed to “deepen” the dialogue.

As for sales of the Goophone, there is little Washington can do to prevent them right now short of igniting a trade war. However, lawmakers and regulators are narrowing their focal point to China’s growing use of patents — and insisting that those patents need to be of better “quality.”

China became the world’s top filer for patents last year, surpassing both the United States and Japan as it seeks to become known for not only manufacturing products but also designing them, according to a Thomson Reuters research report.

While Chinese companies are racing to accumulate patents, and the Chinese government seeks to improve its record on intellectual property, international property experts have criticized the quality of many of those patents as “junk.” These patents can be used by so-called patent trolls, who squat on the patents and wait to sue those who allegedly infringe.

“The manipulation of the patent system in China is an issue of growing concern and leading to a much more difficult business environment for American companies trying to do business there,” said Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s international property subcommittee. “It is important to increase pressure on the Chinese government to recognize the importance of intellectual property protections,” he said.

A spokesman for the USTR said the agency is “working to address” the issue “by ensuring that issues of patent quality are prominent in ongoing IP-related discussions between the U.S. and Chinese governments.”

But the Obama administration’s focus on working with Chinese regulators has frustrated some GOP congressional leaders.

“When people in China and other countries steal our intellectual property, it not only drains money out of our economy, it destroys jobs and slows the pace of innovation,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). “This new phenomenon of ‘patent trolls’ is just the latest example of what happens when the U.S. government looks the other way while America’s job creators are robbed of their hard-earned money. When you don’t stop bad behavior, you get more of it.”

Some Democrats say the frustration is misdirected.

“The administration has made it a priority to prevent these unfair Chinese business practices and ensure that they do not impede American innovation and economic growth,” said Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.). “Meanwhile, we must continue to adopt policies that ensure U.S. patents, and our innovators are protected from copyright infringement.“

“We know China will use any means necessary to gain an unfair edge against American innovators and manufacturers, which is why a multipronged trade enforcement effort is required,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said.

U.S. firms bear some responsibility, too. “Because a lot of U.S. companies discount Chinese intellectual property, they haven’t aggressively filed for Chinese patents,” said Colleen Chien, a law professor at Santa Clara University. “This practice has left them vulnerable, beaten in the race to the patent office by local patent speculators.”

Goophone, a little-known electronics firm that has supposedly copied Samsung products, vowed to block the iPhone 5 from the Chinese market with its patents for an iPhone lookalike, the Goophone I5, GizChina, a consumer electronics blog, reports. In a video announcing the product, a spokesperson says that “iPhone patents worldwide raised a big stick and has been the fault of global indignation.”

A representative of Goophone could not be reached.

Apple representatives did not return calls for this article.

With its threats against Apple, Goophone may simply be seeking publicity for its device in the days before Apple unveils its latest smartphone. It has been dubbed the “Frankenstein phone” because despite its apparent iPhone imitation, it uses Google’s Android as its operating system. Or it could be using patents to win a financial windfall before Apple’s iPhone 5 can begin selling in China.

The case has some precedent. Apple recently paid $60 million to Proview, a firm that claimed to own the iPad trademark in China.

Some see the Goophone announcement as commentary on the global patent war over the smartphone and Apple’s aggressiveness when it comes to defending its intellectual property. Last month, a jury in San Jose, Calif., awarded Apple more than $1 billion in its case against Samsung, which plans to appeal while Apple seeks to block Samsung products from the U.S. market.

The actions by Goophone are indicative of the kind of problems arising from a worldwide scramble by technology firms and others to grab international property rights, said Robin Feldman, a law professor at the University of California, Hastings and author of “Rethinking Patent Law.” In China, the avenues for recourse are not the same as those in the U.S., she said.

“In the U.S., this type of behavior would trigger claims of misappropriation of trade secrets,” she said. “China has a trade secret law, but since it doesn’t have a discovery system, it’s much more difficult to bring a trade secrets case.”

Patent trolls are an issue in the U.S. In August, Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Chaffetz introduced the SHIELD Act to make those who sue pay litigation costs of a defendant in high technology cases.

“Chinese companies are no less litigious than the American ones,” said Ben Qiu, an attorney at Cooley in Shanghai. “More than 90 percent of IP infringement cases on the courts’ docket in China are between local companies. If patent trolls become a serious headache, the local companies would be hit at least equally hard.”

At hearings on the Hill recently, congressional leaders have quizzed trade officials about what is being done to protect U.S. firms doing business in China when it comes to intellectual property and patents. Goodlatte said his office was monitoring the Goophone issue and would push for patent and trade to be part of the discussion when the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade meets later this year.

**************************

Congressional Quarterly: If EPA Does Not Waive Ethanol Mandate, Lawmakers May Try to Do So
By Alan K. Ota and Ellyn Ferguson
August 29, 2012
Hyperlink

Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte and his allies in both parties are warning they will push for legislation to water down the federal ethanol production mandate if the EPA does not set it aside in the face of a continuing drought in the Farm Belt.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has opened a 30-day public comment period on a possible waiver of the ethanol mandate (PL 110-58), or Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), that was created in the 2005 energy law (PL 109-58) and expanded in 2007 (PL 110-140).

Although a decision is not expected until after the November election, Goodlatte, the second-ranking Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, said Wednesday he hopes EPA will signal its intent to waive the mandate by the end of September in response to growing concerns about rising prices for corn-based feed.

“Now is the time for her to act,” said Goodlatte of Jackson. “If she doesn’t get rid of the mandate, we will be pushing hard for the legislation.”

Goodlatte, R-Va., said the push would come in a post-election session for legislation similar to his bipartisan proposal (HR 3097) to require EPA to waive the mandate if it determines that corn stocks are too low. Corn-producing states are among the worst hit areas by the ongoing drought.

The bill faces likely opposition from corn farmers and from the ethanol industry. But Goodlatte said the coalition of supporters for the bill was growing. “It’s not just cattle and dairy and poultry and hogs. It’s grocery manufacturers and restaurants. It’s also consumer and environmental groups. . . . And hunger organizations are worried about the detrimental effect on the price of food,” he said.

Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, one of 30 co-sponsors of the measure, predicted a bipartisan push to promote it. “If the drought continues, it could gain support,” Welch said. Democratic Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland has joined a GOP ally, John Boozman of Arkansas, in promoting a similar measure (S 3428). The EPA action was triggered by formal requests from Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe and North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue, both Democrats whose states are top poultry and hog producers. Republican Govs. Nathan Deal of Georgia, Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Bob McDonnell of Virginia submitted later petitions.

Democratic Govs. Jack Markell of Delaware and Martin O‘Malley of Maryland and Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry have submitted letters of support for a reduction in the fuel mandate.

So far, only Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad, a Republican, has written in support of the mandate. Iowa, in addition to being a top hog and egg-producing state, also is a major corn and ethanol producer.

The governors arguing for a reduction say the mandate created an artificial market that has forced the livestock and poultry industries to compete with biofuel producers for the field corn that is used to manufacture ethanol, animal feed and food ingredients such oil, meal, cereals and sweeteners. The governors said animal feed prices, a key cost of production, have already started rising on predictions of tight corn stocks. Current law mandates production of 13.2 billion gallons of ethanol in 2012 and 13.8 billion gallons in 2013.

*****************************
Congressional Quarterly: EPA Considers Ethanol Waiver Requests Following Pressure From Lawmakers
By Ellyn Ferguson
August 21, 2012
Hyperlink

The EPA will hold a 30-day comment period on whether to maintain the federal mandate for ethanol production or reduce it, as four governors and more than 150 lawmakers have requested.

The governors and lawmakers say reducing the mandate will make corn more available for livestock feed as drought menaces the crop.

The clock starts running on the comment period once the EPA publishes a notice in the Federal Register. Formal requests of waivers filed last week by the Democratic governors of Arkansas and North Carolina triggered the process. The Democratic governors of Delaware and Maryland also have submitted letters of support for changing the mandate, known as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

In a pre-publication version of the comment notice issued Monday, the agency said it wants information on whether keeping the current federal mandate will cause state or regional economic harm and affect the price of ethanol, corn, feedstock and food. The EPA also wants data that changing the mandate would actually resolve the problems opponents say the standard causes.

Livestock and poultry producers have expressed concern about the mandate created in 2005 and expanded in 2007. They say this year’s drought, which affects more than 60 percent of the continental United States, has raised the stakes for them. The cost of feed, a major expense in the animal industry, has escalated as the projections for the size of the fall corn harvest have declined.

Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte» , the Virginia Republican who is leading a bipartisan push for the mandate reduction, said the EPA action is overdue.

“The current drought and diminishing corn crop will devastate our economy if the RFS is not waived. I urge livestock producers, businesses small and large, and others impacted by the RFS mandate to submit their comments to the EPA,” he said in a statement Monday afternoon.

«Goodlatte said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson should “review these comments closely and take action as soon as possible to help ease corn supply concerns and protect American livestock and food producers, consumers, and the economy as a whole.”

Livestock and poultry trade associations argue that lowering the 2012 mandate from 13.2 billion gallons of ethanol and 13.8 billion gallons in 2013 should make more corn available for animal feed. The ethanol industry and corn growers counter respond that the system has flexibility, because refiners can cut back on their use of ethanol by using credits from periods when they blended more ethanol into gasoline than required by federal law. Ethanol trade groups also note that higher corn prices have forced some ethanol plants to reduce output or to idle production, easing demand for corn.

Studies by Purdue University and the University of Illinois draw inconclusive results from a reduction in the federal mandate. Although ethanol makes up about 10 percent of U.S. transportation fuels, it may be so deeply embedded in the distribution system that many refiners would need time to reconfigure their operations. Refiners might also continue to mix ethanol in gasoline because of its oxygenate properties, which enable fuel to burn more completely and reduce the amount of carbon monoxide produced.

The Purdue study also noted that world crude oil prices would drive refiners’ decision about ethanol use.

*****************************

The News & Advance: More than 1,300 applicants drawn to Lynchburg job fair
By Staff
August 7, 2012
Hyperlink

LYNCHBURG --Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and Robert Hurt held a regional job fair at the Liberty Mountain Conference Center in Lynchburg on Monday.

Nearly 70 businesses, representing between 1,200 and 1,300 open positions, were on hand to meet with job seekers.

Local employers included Genworth Financial, Harris Corporation and Centra.

Monday’s job fair attracted more than 1,350 applicants.

This is the third job fair U.S. Rep. Goodlatte, R-6th, has hosted.

He previously held similar events in Roanoke and Harrisonburg.

***************************

WSET: 1,300 Come Out for Lynchburg Job Fair
By Sally Delta
August 6, 2012
Hyperlink

Lynchburg, VA  - They're fighting the unemployment rate by taking the jobs to the people. Monday, Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and Robert Hurt hosted a job fair with more than 70 employers ready to hire. It was at the Liberty Mountain Conference Center, and it drew a big crowd.

There was a line of job-seekers from the conference center all the way to CiCi's pizza Monday morning. Inside the conference center, it stayed packed throughout the day. In this economy, finding work takes work. This job fair was an opportunity for some to skip a few steps and meet employers face to face.

"It's nice to talk to real people and see that yes there are opportunities, or no there are not yet, but potentially down the road," said Jim Corbett, who has been out of work for a month.

Corbett lost his job a month a go due to downsizing. He worked in insurance for the past 14 years and admits finding a new job isn't easy.

"It can be discouraging. You apply online over and over and over and you either get an automatic email, or you get nothing at all," said Corbett.

"I've been looking for about a year now," said Tonya Chambers, who's been out of work for one year.

Chambers says the constant let downs are hard to take but tries to stay positive.

"It's great to have all of this at your fingertips, but the thing is, it's stressful if you don't find a job and get hired, it's sad," said Chambers.

"People are hurting if they don't have a job," said Goodlatte, (R), 6th District.

Goodlatte and Hurt weaved through the crowd of job-seekers to lend words of encouragement.

"We have insurance, banking, education, retail, restaurants. We have jobs for people looking for part time or full time jobs," said Goodlatte.

"It's our hope that this will be useful to people and helpful to people and will help get people jobs," said Hurt, (R), 5th District.

Experts also helped with resumes, interview preparation and job-seeking tips. More than 1,300 job seekers were in attendance.

***************************

WDBJ: Lynchburg job fair takes place Monday
By Susan Bahorich
August 6, 2012
Hyperlink

LYNCHBURG, Va.— Whether it's banking, manufacturing or food services, there's something for everyone.

That's the idea behind a job fair happening Monday in Lynchburg.

More than 70-businesses are there, but unlike a lot of other job fairs these businesses have positions to fill.

With several major closures and layoffs over the last year, people lined up early this morning looking for that new job.
Sign up for breaking news alerts from WDBJ7 here >>>

"Been without a job for 6-months, looking backward and forward, everything it's hard," Billy Montgomery of  Brookneal said. "It's insanity. If you don't find something you're going to go nuts.

"I have a lot of competition so I want to be able to say, 'I have something to offer you, hire me, I'm good for you,'" Michelle Woodruff-Rankey of Lynchburg said.

Monday's event goes on until 2 p.m. at the Liberty Mountain Conference Center in Lynchburg - that's in the plaza across from Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Organizers say there are approximately 1,300 available positions.

--------------------------

More than 70-employers in one room waiting to give you a job.

Think you're dreaming?

Well, think again.

Businesses will gather Monday in Lynchburg for a regional job fair.

The event is sponsored by Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and Robert Hurt.

Goodlatte says a similar event in Roanoke last year brought out more than 18-hundred job seekers.

This event has something for everyone.

"And all different aspects of the workforce. Everything from manufacturing to healthcare to finance to government agencies, to the military. If you're interested in finding a job, this is the place to come and do it," says Goodlatte.

The job fair is happening Monday, August 6th in Lynchburg at the Liberty Mountain Conference Center, that's in the Candler's Station Shopping Center off route 460.

The event is going on from 9a.m.- 2p.m.

Goodlatte says the businesses have jobs and are looking to hire.

***************************

The News & Advance: Vote passes against regulations preventing some minors from working on farms
By: Justin Faulconer
July 24, 2012
Hyperlink

A few months after the Department of Labor announced it was backing off from a regulation to prevent some minors from working on family farms, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday aimed at keeping the proposal from ever resurfacing.

The department announced in late April a withdrawal from the rules dealing with children, age 16 and under, in agricultural vocations in response to thousands of comments addressing concerns about the negative impact on farmers.

The Preserving America’s Family Farms Act, which received unanimous support on the U.S. House floor Tuesday and now heads to the Senate, aims to ensure those farmers will never have to face the same concerns again.

U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt, R-5th District, said the regulation was a case of “Washington bureaucrats meddling unnecessarily in the affairs of individual citizens.” He and U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th District, co-sponsored of the bill.

Hurt released a statement after the vote, saying many farms in his district are struggling to make ends meet as a result of regulations that “limit their productivity, stifle job creation and threaten the future of their enterprise.”

“Many farmers in the district have approached me about it,” Hurt said in a phone interview. “They just shake their head in disbelief. It’s just one more example of what Washington doesn’t need to be doing.”

The rules for hired workers on farms under age 16 was intended to increase child safety but the department in an April news release said it would instead work with rural stakeholders to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote “safer agricultural working practices.”

President Obama’s administration is “firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life,” a statement from the department following the withdrawal said.

“To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama administration.”

**************************

News Virginian: Rep. Bob Goodlatte questions Napolitano
By  Bob Stuart
July 20, 2012
Hyperlink

Sixth District Rep. Bob Goodlatte questioned Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Thursday about the department’s oversight.

The questioning took place during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

Goodlatte, who represents much of the Shenandoah Valley, demanded answers from Napolitano about the slowness of her department’s response to questions submitted by members of Congress.

The lawmaker also discussed the recent cancellation of the 287(g) program and the necessity of having local police agencies assist in the enforcement of immigration laws.

*****************************

Washington Times: Homeland Security deletes immigration enforcement success stories from website
By Stephen Dinan
July 19, 2012
Hyperlink

Homeland Security Secretary Janet A. Napolitano is not a fan of a key provision of the federal program that allows state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws — but until Thursday her department’s website hadn’t gotten the message.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the part of her agency that handles the so-called “287(g) agreements” with states and localities, had a Web page dedicated to success stories from the program, pointing to the many dangerous criminal aliens who had been taken off the streets after local authorities nabbed them for another offense.

But after Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Virginia Republican, pointed out the contradiction during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday, Ms. Napolitano wasted little time in removing it.

“I would tell the people who are working on the website, take it down,” she said during the hearing. And even before the hearing gaveled to a close, the page was gone.

The 287(g) program has two parts: task-force agreements, which give state and local police the power to process suspects for immigration violations; and the jail model, which only gets local authorities involved after someone has been booked into a jail or prison.

Ms. Napolitano said the task-force model costs 10 times as much per deportation as does the jail model or “Secure Communities,” another program designed to check prison populations for potentially deportable immigrants.

Hours after the Supreme Court last month upheld the part of Arizona’s law empowering local police to question immigration status of those they believe to be in the country illegally, Ms. Napolitano canceled the seven task-force agreements her department had with Arizona law enforcement agencies.

At Thursday’s hearing, Mr. Goodlatte tried to find out why — and pointed to the list of success stories on ICE’s website.

“Why are you touting them if they’re success stories in a program that you think is otherwise flawed?” he said, adding that the program has proved to be popular with departments in his own state of Virginia.

“There may be some success stories,” Ms. Napolitano replied, but said they were switching to the more cost-effective models.

“It doesn’t work. The program is expensive, and it doesn’t work the way Congress intended,” she said.

She and President Obama have taken steps recently to try to restrict the classes of illegal immigrants eligible for deportation, making it less likely that average illegal immigrants will be deported and instead focusing on those who have criminal records or have committed multiple immigration violations.

The Homeland Security secretary sparred with a number of Republicans on the panel throughout the morning over that decision, with Ms. Napolitano at one point rejecting a point-blank request from one GOP lawmaker to rescind the president’s move.

“This unprecedented decision ignores the rule of law that is the foundation of our democracy,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, Texas Republican, in his opening remarks. While “the executive branch does have the power of prosecutorial discretion on a case-by-case basis, but this authority cannot be used to systematically dismantle our immigration laws,” Mr. Smith added.

**************************

News Virginian: Goodlatte, Hurt to host job fair
By  Staff
July 19, 2012
Hyperlink

Sixth District Rep. Bob Goodlatte and 5th District Rep. Robert Hurt will host a regional job fair Aug. 6 in Lynchburg.

The job fair begins at 9 a.m. and lasts until 2 p.m. and is scheduled for Liberty Mountain Conference Center.

The conference center is located off Route 460 at 3700 Candler’s Mountain Road in Lynchburg.

Area businesses interested in participating should contact Goodlatte’s Lynchburg office at (434) 845-8306 or Hurt’s Danville office at (434) 791-2596.

**************************

WSLS: GSA initiates hiring freeze, suspends bonuses to top employees
By Scott Leamon
July 17, 2012
Hyperlink

The new chief of the federal government's General Services Administration, or GSA, has initiated a hiring freeze and suspended bonuses to be paid out to its top employees.

The GSA is managing the more than $50 million renovation to the Poff Federal Building near downtown Roanoke.

Several top administrators were either replaced or resigned after that big government waste controversy involving a convention in Las Vegas in 2010.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte has called the Poff Building renovation a waste of taxpayer money.

But several local contractors say it's bringing them some much needed work.

**************************

Daily News Record: Goodlatte: Farm Bill's Future Cloudy
By  Candace Sipos
July 14, 2012
Hyperlink

HARRISONBURG - Rep. Bob Goodlatte doesn't have many definite answers about the latest version of the farm bill - when it might be picked up by the full House of Representatives, how much funding will be cut, when it may be complete - but he does know what he wants to see in it and what he believes would benefit Valley farmers.

"I want to move the farm bill the direction of spending less money and having less government regulation and more free enterprise in agriculture," he said in a phone interview Monday. "I know that's what my farmers want. I know that it is how farms in the Shenandoah Valley have operated for generations."

On Thursday, the House Committee on Agriculture, of which Goodlatte is a member, advanced its version of the bill in a 35-11 vote. One of the dissenting votes came from Goodlatte.

The five-year, half-trillion-dollar legislation governs food assistance, subsidies, conservation measures, regulations and other agricultural issues.

But the House leadership has yet to pick up the bill, officially the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act, for discussion, with many Republicans dissatisfied with the high price tag and many Democrats unhappy with the sharp cuts in food stamps.

The current bill expires at the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30, but many officials don't believe a new one will be in place by that date. Many are concerned that the Democrat-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House won't be able to reconcile their competing versions, especially during an election year.

Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, for one, is not confident that Congress will churn out a new bill before that deadline.

"It will be exceedingly difficult to do, because the federal government is in dire fiscal straits," he said. "It's going to have a very difficult time on the floor of the House."

The proposed House bill, which contains $12 billion more in cuts than the Senate's version, would generate $35 billion in savings for taxpayers mostly by cutting $1.6 billion each year from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, according to a press release on the committee's website. The SNAP program makes up about 80 percent of the bill's cost.

"Over 10 years, the food stamps program will spend close to a trillion dollars," Goodlatte said. "Sixteen billion dollars in savings is fairly modest. Quite frankly ... we'll probably need to look at more savings there."

He said he wants the people who really need food stamps to have access to them, but without allowing loopholes that others have found in the past.

The number of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County residents who use food stamps has grown from about 2,800 in May 2008 to almost 5,000 this year.

Both the proposed House version and the Senate's bill repeal direct payments, a form of government assistance provided to farmers for certain crops regardless of yield or whether those crops have even been planted.

"They are basically a subsidy without a purpose," Goodlatte said.

While some Valley farmers benefit from direct payments, the money mostly helps those in the Deep South or Midwest who have huge corn, wheat, soybean, cotton or rice production, Goodlatte said.

"Our farmers are customers of these other farmers," he added. "What we want to do is not limit production but encourage production to make sure that farmers can get a competitive price."

The proposed House bill also calls for an increase in crop insurance subsidies, while consolidating conservation programs and stripping them of $6 billion.

**************************

News Virginian: Goodlatte votes to repeal health care reform
By  Derek Micah Armstrong
July 12, 2012
Hyperlink

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th, joined his fellow members of the House of Representatives in voting 244-185 on Wednesday to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law.

“Following the disappointing Supreme Court decision to uphold the constitutionality of Obamacare, the House of Representatives moved swiftly to pass bipartisan legislation, once again, to fully repeal this monstrosity, which amounts to a big government takeover of our health care system – one that will lead to fewer choices, higher prices and rationed care,” Goodlatte said in a statement released by his office.

It was the 33rd vote to repeal or defund the law since Republicans took control of the chamber a year ago. Five Democrats sided with Republicans, who unanimously supported the repeal.

“It’s your job to make health care decisions for your family,” Goodlatte said. “The government must work to ensure that you have access to affordable alternatives and then get out of the way which is why I have voted nearly 30 times to repeal, defund and dismantle Obamacare and I keep fighting until we have fully repealed this disastrous law in its entirety.”

Democrat Andrew Schmookler, who is running against Goodlatte, said Republicans are practicing “dishonest politics.”

“When Republicans were in power, they did nothing, including Goodlatte, to deal with the genuine problem of our health-care system,” Schmookler said.

Many view the vote as a symbolic display of opposition because it will not pass the Senate, which Democrats control, and the White House issued a veto threat Monday.

“It’s an imperfect bill, but it is a first step in dealing with a national crisis,” Schmookler said. “The job of Congress should be to build upon it, not to repeal the only constructive reform measure that Congress has been able to pass in generations.”

Even if Republicans gain control of Congress and White House in November, a full repeal of the reform is unlikely because many provisions of the law are popular, Schmookler said.

“Some Americans, when asked about the bill, oppose it,” he said. “But many of those same people support items in the bill.”

**************************

Richmond Times Dispatch: Goodlatte, Griffith and Hurt: GOP exhibits resolve to repeal
By Reps. Bob Goodlatte, Morgan Griffith & Robert Hurt
July 3, 2012
Hyperlink

In the days after the Supreme Court's disappointing ruling on President Obama's health care law, the resolve of the American people and Republicans in Congress only grows stronger. While the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Obamacare on the basis that it is a tax, this decision certainly does not make the law good policy. A law that raises taxes, destroys jobs, and hampers economic growth, while doing nothing to rein in soaring health care costs is simply the wrong prescription for Virginians.

Virginians are now presented with a choice: a future of bigger government, fewer options, and increased health care costs under Obamacare, or a future of smaller government and affordable health care options where decisions are made by patients and their doctors, not Washington bureaucrats. We choose the latter.

Just over two years ago, our health care system was radically changed when President Obama and congressional Democrats rammed the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act through Congress, ignoring the strong objections of the American people. In fact, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi famously told Americans that Congress would have to pass this bill so that they could find out what was in it. The American people have a message for congressional Democrats: Now that we know what's in it, we don't want it.

This 2,700 page law, and the murky process in which it was drafted, represents an affront to our democracy and a fundamental departure from the founding principles of our nation by placing more faith in government than in the American people. The results? Compromised freedoms, increased health insurance premiums, lost jobs, and less access to quality and affordable care.

Regardless of which part of the commonwealth you call home, the voices and the stories we hear are similar. The president's health care law is making things worse. We have heard from seniors who are concerned about getting the care they need under this law. Hard-working families are worried about skyrocketing costs. Small-business owners refuse to grow and expand their businesses because the uncertainty created by this law is too great. With employment stuck above 8 percent, removing barriers to employment — including the threat of higher taxes, new government regulations and costly mandates — is more important than ever.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced that the House will vote on July 11 to fully repeal Obamacare. Let this be a sign that the fight for full repeal of this costly, job-killing law is far from over. The House will once again give the Senate an opportunity to repeal this bill. The choice is simple: Again ignore the will of the American people, or join the House in full repeal of this misguided law.

We are confident that if the Senate chooses the latter, both parties can and will come together to pass patient-centered reforms that will deliver the highest quality care at affordable prices without jeopardizing jobs across this country. Any policy that we pass must adhere to a uniform concept: Empower patients with choices and protect and preserve the doctor-patient relationship.

In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts articulated that the court's job is not to remove the political consequences from the policymakers' actions. While we do not agree with the chief justice's final opinion, we do agree with this particular sentiment. It is time for the representatives of the American people to listen to their wishes and repeal this bill before irreparable damage is done to our health care system and our nation.

The American people cherish our nation's founding principles of limited government, free enterprise and individual liberty. Despite the fact that the court rejected the expansion of federal regulating authority under the commerce clause, we still believe the court seriously undermined individual liberty and free enterprise. Just because it has been called a tax does not remove the fact that the law has compromised our liberties.

The very foundations of this great nation are threatened by Obamacare. We will not stand idly by. As representatives for the good people of Virginia, we know it is our duty to let the voices of Virginians be heard as we do our part in working to return us to a nation of smaller government and greater liberty that our founders intended.

**************************

WSET: 45 years later, Lynchburg man receives Purple Heart
By Ray Reed
May 30, 2012
Hyperlink

Lynchburg resident George Murphy, wounded in Vietnam in 1967, finally received an