Congressman-elect Bruce Braley says he’s pushing to get assigned a spot on the Energy Committee in the U.S. House. Braley, a lawyer from Waterloo, was elected Iowa’s first district congressman this November.
Braley says there’s been “aggressive lobbying” among the new Democrats who’ll be in congress. “With this many new Democrats arriving in Washington, the competition for those key committee slots is very fierce,” Braley says. “I’ve been arguing that there are no Iowans on the Energy and Commerce (Committee). With Iowa being the epicenter of the renewable fuels explosion, it’s time we had someone on that committee.”
Braley predicts the U.S. House will take a “very aggressive” approach to providing incentives for ethanol and biodiesel producers. Braley says Democrats offered a “New Direction for America Plan” that proposes incentives in order to increase the number of E-85 pumps as well as incentives for production of ethanol and biodiesel, especially plants the use something other than corn or beans to produce those fuels.
Braley made his comments during taping of the Iowa Public Television program “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) at 7:30.