The Moore You Know Ag Update
Hi, friends –
In conjunction with a continuing resolution for government funding, the 2018 Farm Bill and several orphan programs – authroizations with mandatory funding but without permanent budget baseline – were extended for another year. A long-term extension provides programmatic certainty for producers navigating safety nets, marketing and conservation programs.
The Four Corners – committee leadership in the House and Senate – have signaled their desire to reauthorize an effective farm bill as soon as possible despite the one-year extension. It is my hope House and Senate Agriculture Committees are sincere in their commitments and work to address present-day challenges and opportunities in today’s agriculture industry.
Please keep reading to learn more about House Agriculture Committee activity, Farm Bill engagement, and other resources you may find helpful. |
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One of the most pressing issues facing the agriculture industry is access to a reliable workforce. This summer, the House Agriculture Committee formed the Agricultural Labor Working Group (ALWG) to identify challenges and opportunities relating specifically to agricultural workforce and the H-2A program. This month, ALWG released its interim report after several roundtables with industry experts and a bipartisan group of House members. This report lays the groundwork for substantive, cross-jurisdictional policy recommendations to address foreign labor on American operations. |
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| Introduced H.R. 6351 I introduced a bill to establish the Commission on National Agricultural Statistics Service Modernization to streamline data collection and reporting processes through NASS. Specifically, this bill directs the Commission to recommend policy changes to existing programming on a bipartisan basis with opportunity for Executive and stakeholder input. |
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Introduced H.R. 6272 I introduced a bill to strengthen Congressional oversight of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by mandating any changes to quality control mechanisms administered through USDA be subject to a public comment period. This bill is the direct result of input from this newsletter’s readership. |
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ICYMI
The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSECPP) received $15 million for FY24 in the government funding continuing resolution. I am encouraged by this program's inclusion and look forward to representing the interest of AL-02 landowners as we work to eradicate this invasive species for the sake of environmental and public health. This orphan program is a top priority of mine this farm bill reauthorization – I introduced H.R. 3984, the Feral Swine Eradication Act, which transitions FSECPP to an eradication program emphasizing direct control. |
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