Beltway News – Farm Bill Update

Late last night the House Agriculture Committee completed work on their version of the Farm Bill passing HR 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM) by a vote of 36-10.  The House action follows passage of S 954, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act, out of the Senate...

Statement by Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, regarding Senate Agriculture Committee approval of bipartisan farm bill

“The Senate Agriculture Committee today put the farm bill on a solid road toward success. By following a bipartisan path and approving its farm bill legislation, the committee moved the farm bill forward with provisions that work well for America’s farm and ranch families. We are especially pleased that...

Statement by Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, regarding USDA’s intent to prepare environmental impact statements for biotech crops under review for deregulation

“The Agriculture Department’s announcement that it will require full environmental impact statements for new corn, soybean and cotton crops developed through biotechnology to be herbicide-resistant is troubling.” “Most disturbing is that USDA has not provided scientific justification for why full...

Health tax would hit small business employees

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 9, 2013 – The Health Insurance Tax will hurt small business employees the hardest, according to congressional testimony today by New York Farm Bureau President and dairy owner Dean Norton. Testifying before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology, Norton, also a...

AFBF joins groups in new crop insurance agreement

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 7, 2013—The American Farm Bureau Federation has joined with a diverse group of 44 conservation, environmental, crop insurance and agricultural organizations in distributing a position paper that outlines a common-sense compromise to link conservation compliance and crop insurance...

Statement by Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, regarding USDA/EPA honey bee report

“The Agriculture Department/Environmental Protection Agency report issued today concludes what farmers and scientists have known for some time—that there isn’t just one cause to the decline in honey bee numbers. It’s a multitude of factors, which makes it even more important that we continue work on...

New legislation needed to maintain movement of grains

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 26, 2013—New legislation introduced in the House, H.R. 1152, The Mississippi River Navigation Sustainment Act, would maintain the critical movement of goods during periods of extreme weather, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. “The Mississippi River is a critical...

Court refuses to dismiss poultry farmer’s suit against EPA

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 23, 2013 – Poultry and livestock farmers scored a win Monday when a federal court rejected efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to dismiss a case brought by West Virginia poultry farmer Lois Alt, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Alt had challenged an EPA...

Beltway News – Farm Labor Reforms in Immigration Reform Bill

The following is a general summary of the farm worker provisions contained in the comprehensive immigration reform bill introduced by the Senate. Full text of the bill can be obtained by clicking on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Farm labor language begins on page 188 of the bill. Title I: Blue Card...

Final Legislative Report – 2013 Kentucky General Assembly

SUMMARY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES DURING THE 2013 KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY Kentucky Farm Bureau was involved in many pieces of legislation this session supporting, opposing, or monitoring bills.  We were able to secure passage of several of our priority issues this year.  We were also able to protect...