Growing Climate Solutions Act
A bill that won broad bipartisan support in the Senate has yet to will the support of the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. Senator Glen Thompson of Pennsylvania wants to hear testimony on the Growing Climate Solutions Act from stakeholders.
Thompson has said the legislation is a “ big-government solution in search of a problem.”
The legislation if passed would direct the USDA to start certifying voluntary carbon credit programs to pay farmers to capture carbon dioxide and sequester it in soil and forestland.
The measure passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate where Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow of Michigan said it puts producers’ needs first.
Stabenow: “ Bottom line it gives them the opportunity to work with the USDA to design a carbon market that works for them, not Wallstreet. This bill puts farmers and foresters first.”
But Thompson wants the House Agriculture Committee Chair David Scott of Georgia to allow a hearing on the measure before a vote in the House.
The Act does not require farmers or ranchers to develop more sustainable practices or participate in carbon offset markets, one reason for its broad appeal.
Thompson says the consequences of government intrusion into voluntary carbon markets have not been adequately explored and Congress should continue educating itself and vetting these issues before legislating.
