The leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee Wednesday announced a set of farm bill hearings. Senators Debbie Stabenow and John Boozman will hold the first hearing on February 1, titled. …
Interview with Congressman John Duarte
His name is known around California agriculture circles, and now John Duarte is taking on D.C. The Republican was sworn in this month as the elected Congressman for California’s 13 …
WOTUS Lawsuit Challenges ‘Vague and Unpredictable Standards’
A legal challenge to the new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule has been filed by a coalition of agricultural and other business organizations. The WOTUS lawsuit has been …
AFBF: More Uncertainty for WOTUS
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) says more uncertainty is ahead when it comes to the new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. The new rule comes as the Supreme …
Important Ag Provisions in the Omnibus Bill
President Biden signed the omnibus spending package into law that diverts a government shutdown and keeps it running until September 30, 2023. The bill with more than 4,000 pages contains …
Agricultural Wins and Losses in Omnibus Appropriations Package
Congress has released a $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations package that includes all 12 fiscal year appropriations bills for the fiscal year 2023. Lawmakers are attempting to get the legislation through …
WRDA 2022 Now Awaits Presidential Signature
The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 is now making its way to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. WRDA 2022 was included as part of the …
Ag Groups Encouraged by Affordable and Secure Food Act Introduction
Senator Michael Bennet has introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate in an attempt to address farm labor challenges. The Affordable and Secure Food Act seeks to reform the H-2A Temporary …
Workforce Modernization Act Could Save Billions in Labor Costs
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act awaits Senate action during the lame-duck session, and it’s the closest meaningful immigration reform has come to the finish line in years. Research by David …
Ag Research Hearing at Senate Ag Committee
The Senate Ag Committee took up the topic of the research title in the Farm Bill during a hearing this week. Witnesses testified on the need to fund cutting-edge ag …
House Acts to Prevent Rail Strike
The House of Representatives Wednesday took action to avert a pending rail strike. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on the house floor Wednesday, stated, “A shutdown would grind our economy to …
Farm Groups Urge Congress to Better Enforce FIFRA Labeling Parameters
More than 300 agricultural, environmental, and other stakeholder groups are encouraging Congress to reaffirm federal authority over pesticide products. The coalition notes that the statute governing pesticides, the Federal Insecticide, …
WATER for California Act Seeks to Establish Better Regulatory Stability
Last week Congressman David Valadao introduced the WATER for California Act to address how the state’s water projects are administered. The Working to Advance Tangible and Effective Reforms (WATER) for …
Ag Industry Disappointed by Newsom’s Signing of Card Check Legislation
Despite opposition from agriculture and business groups, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the card check legislation AB 2183. Proponents of the bill such as the United Farm Workers (UFW) have …