Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee are touting legislation that will help veterans in agriculture. Introduced by Committee Chair Pat Roberts and ranking Democrat Debbie Stabenow, the Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018 makes all new veterans eligible for support from the Department of Agriculture. The Senators say the bill also improves access for farmer veterans across eight existing initiatives …
Farm Bill Text Expected Thursday
Democrats and Republicans on the House Agriculture committee remain at odds with each other over the nutrition title of the farm bill. As the committee scheduled the draft release today (Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET), the bill is “in trouble,” as ranking member Collin Peterson puts it, according to the Hagstrom Report. Peterson and committee Democrats previously vowed not to support …
Perdue Says Trade War May Affect the New Farm Bill
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says a potential trade dispute with China could have negative consequences on the new Farm Bill Congress is currently working on. Politico says Congress may need to factor in possible trade disruptions while working on the new legislation. China announced that dozens of U.S. farm products, including soybeans and beef, could potentially face a 25 percent …
Trade Issues Pose Farm Bill Challenges
During a Senate hearing last week, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts linked the state of U.S. trade to the farm bill, remarking trade presents more challenges to the farm bill. Speaking last week at a Senate Finance Committee hearing with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Roberts simply said: “This is not a good situation.” Speculating that if Congress needs …
Partisan Farm Bill a No-Go in the Senate
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the Senate Ag Committee is on track to release a bipartisan farm bill after the Easter recess. Politico says Grassley is warning lawmakers that a Republican-only bill coming out of the House would have no chance of getting through the upper chamber. Bipartisan farm bill talks are stalled in the House amid complaints from Democrats …
Roberts: Senate Farm Bill Work Scheduled Next Month
Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Pat Roberts hopes to begin Senate farm bill work next month. This week, Roberts said that he wants to mark up the bill in April, adding that his staff and the staff of the committee’s ranking Democrat, Debbie Stabenow, have begun work on the bill. The key to the bill, Roberts told the Hagstrom Report, is …
Ag Committee Leaders Praise Bipartisan Budget Act
Senate Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts says the Bipartisan Budget Act passed in both chambers of Congress benefits Americans in many ways. It avoids a government shutdown, raises military funding, contains disaster assistance for several states that were hit hard by natural disasters, and improves livestock assistance programs. Roberts says, “In addition to disaster assistance for states hit hard by …
Roberts: Trump Listening to Senate NAFTA Concerns
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts says President Donald Trump “really listened to our concerns” regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During a meeting between lawmakers and the President last week, Roberts says he “delivered the message that farmers and ranchers need to grow export markets and maintain our status as a reliable supplier.” A White House statement mentioned …
Chairman Roberts: “Trade Is More Than a Product Crossing a Border”
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts says “trade is more than a product crossing a border,” in a speech while outlining all facets of seed planted in the U.S. may lead to during its export journey, including the combine, processing facilities and employees along the way. The comments come as worry remains that the U.S. may withdraw from the North …
Trump Asks Roberts for Raincheck on NAFTA Discussion
President Trump took a trip to visit Republicans on Capitol Hill Tuesday with a focus on finding more votes for the tax-cut bill. However, Senate Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts took the opportunity to bring up agricultural concern over the NAFTA negotiations. As the president walked out of the meeting, Politico says he asked Roberts, “How are your farmers?” Roberts …