ROCHESTER, Minn. - Sen. Amy Klobuchar expects action on the farm bill in the Senate this year.
Klobuchar, a Democrat, stopped in to speak with the Post-Bulletin editorial board last week. She covered a variety of topics during her hour-long visit, stretching from the agriculture and the economy to civility and whether or not she's running for re-election.
Klobuchar sits on the agriculture committee and is a supporter of biofuels. She and Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., introduced the Securing America's Future with Energy and Sustainable Technologies Act in July to establish renewable energy and energy efficiency standards and incentives for developing biofuels and biofuel infrastructure.
The bill includes a renewable electricity standard of 25 percent renewable energy by 2025, a long-term extension of tax credits for ethanol and biodiesel and incentives for biofuels infrastructure.
In a press release announcing the bill, Klobuchar said, "the strength of our nation is tied to the strength of our energy economy. Not only are we still dependent on foreign oil, other countries are making great strides in developing clean energy technologies. With the ingenuity of American farmers and manufacturers, we have the ability to be the global leader in energy. This bill will provide incentives that can boost our economy and help us secure our energy future."
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In the meeting, Klobuchar said she wants to transition the Volumetric Ethanol Tax Credit to a credit that is more focused on helping producers rather than blenders. It would be a mistake to pull the rug out from biofuels, she said. She also supports transitioning to more efficient biofuels.
She also said that nuclear energy is part of the equation and supports lifting the moratorium on nuclear plants in Minnesota. That said, she said storage issues need to be resolved.
As far as the farm bill, Klobuchar said the farm bill has been good for Minnesota. The Milk Income Loss Contract program needs changes to work better for producers. Also, there's nothing in the bill to help pork producers, who have suffered record losses in recent years.
When it comes to her overall agenda this year, the senator is focused on private sector job growth, encouraging a competitive innovation agenda and long-term tax reform.
A major focus will be implementation of the health care bill passed last year. The bill was repealed in the House last week, but the repeal isn't expected to pass the Senate.
Klobuchar said it won't do the nation's economy any good for Congress to spend the next two years going back and forth about health care reform. She predicts the fights will be about implementation rather than repeal. She said she knows no one who thinks the bill is perfect.
The 1099 requirement, for example, is too burdensome and should be repealed, Klobuchar said. On the other hand, the delivery system reform and cost reduction is useful.
The Senate remains a civil place, she said, no matter what is portrayed on cable TV. There are only 100 senators and they must work together. She will be sitting by Republican Jeff Sessions of Alabama during the president's State of the Union address.
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She expects there to be moderate changes in Senate rules, including eliminating the secret hold and requiring a filibuster to be an actual talking filibuster. There may also be changes in which nominees are required to be approved by the Senate. The Senate will continue to confirm the most important nominees, Klobuchar said.
She said it would be a good thing if a senator from Minnesota stuck it out for a while to give the state more seniority in the Senate.
"I love my job," Klobuchar said, adding that she loves working for the people of Minnesota. She visits all 87 Minnesota counties every year. When she talks to people on those visits they talk about jobs, the economy and the deficit.
