Concerns about costly new taxes, mandates and federal regulations were on the minds of 8th District residents Saturday at the 19th annual 8th District Farm Forum as a capacity crowd gathered at Edison Community College in Piqua to meet with agriculture experts and talk energy, food safety and animal care. Delivering the keynote address, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03), Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee (OK-03) said that Washington Democrats are ignoring the concerns of today’s farmers as they push a big-government agenda that includes a massive government takeover of health care, a ‘cap and trade’ national energy tax, and out-of-control government spending. “Farmers today are faced with an alarming attempt at a federal grab of power,” Lucas said. Following Lucas, Congressman Boehner pledged that Republicans would work to put an end to all the uncertainty surrounding job-killing agenda and continue to offer better solutions – like an ‘all of the above energy strategy’ that would create jobs and ensure the availability of affordable, abundant energy – to the challenges families face every day. “I’m still here because the fight for a smaller, more accountable and less costly government isn’t over yet,” Boehner said.