October 2011 Archive for Beltway Beef

By Kirk Kimmelshue, NCBA Public Policy Intern

Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) is working to build momentum to pass the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011, which would provide certainty to America’s farmers and ranchers that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not further regulate farm dust. This week, Rep. Noem testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power and explained that without passing her legislation, the threat of further regulation of dust remains.

In addition to testifying before Congress, Noem explained the importance of her bill in a South Dakota newspaper. In an opinion editorial in South Dakota’s Yankton Daily Press, she explained her legislation prohibits EPA from further regulating farm dust and gives certainty to producers across the country.

“This bill is the natural response given the concerns I have heard from farmers and ranchers across South Dakota. Agriculture is a business that has plenty of uncertainties inherent in its nature,” Rep. Noem penned in the editorial. “Flooding, drought, insects and market swings are all volatile factors that a farmer or rancher must consider when doing their job every day. I know this first hand from my experience in the industry.”

Joining Congresswoman Noem’s efforts was another industry leader who knows firsthand about the uncertainties of farming and ranching. Steve Foglesong, immediate past president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and a rancher from Astoria, Ill., also explained the role regulatory uncertainty can play on those involved in production agriculture.

“The fact is, farmers and ranchers want and need certainty about this issue. Regulatory uncertainty is unnecessary and unproductive,” said Foglesong. “If EPA follows through and does not revise the dust standard, such an action would only provide us with certainty for five years. It provides no relief to those producers who are spending more than $1,000 per day on dust control measures right now. We need immediate, permanent relief from federal dust regulation on farms. And cattlemen believe the best way to achieve that is by passing the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act.”

 

By Mike Deering, NCBA Communications

The U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, Oct. 12, voted by a wide margin in favor of the pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. The agreements are now headed to the President’s desk for final approval. National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Bill Donald said Congress put differences aside to pass the trade deals.

The vote in the House was 262-167 for the Colombia pact, 300-129 on Panama and 278-151 on the South Korea accord, the largest of the three. Senators voted 83-15 for the Korean deal, while the Panamanian and Colombian accords were approved by margins of 77-22 and 66-33, respectively.

NCBA hosted a news conference where Donald, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, all spoke in favor of the trade pacts. Baucus says these agreements will level the playing field for U.S. agriculture. Brady agrees and says American producers need open access to export markets. During the news conference, all three stressed the importance of implementing the agreements quickly.

This weekly commentary features NCBA members, leaders, staff and more. Click here to download this week's segment of Beltway Beef. Click here for all previous clips.
 

By Mary Geiger, NCBA Communications
 

Momentum continued mounting last week for the three pending free trade agreements (FTAs) with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Late Monday, President Obama sent the FTAs to Capitol Hill for consideration. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) wasted no time bringing the trade pacts up for consideration in his committee. All three FTAs passed with bipartisan support. National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald said the FTAs are headed to the House floor and urged all members of Congress to prepare their yes votes. Read more about trade developments and about legislation to improve border security on public lands along the U.S. border with Mexico in this week's Beltway Beef newsletter.

U.S. Congressmen Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) were joined by nearly 20 of their House colleagues to introduce the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) Flexibility Act of 2011. Kevin Kester, California Cattlemen's Association president, represented NCBA at a press conference with the lawmakers to introduce the legislation. Kester said the commonsense legislation will for the first time ever link the current corn stocks-to-use ratio to the government mandated RFS and will ensure there is enough corn to meet all demands. Read a special guest column by Kester in this week's Beltway Beef newsletter and don't miss an article about NCBA and the Public Land Council's recent efforts to weigh in on a case headed to the U.S. Supreme Court that could set a dangerous precedent for private landowners.

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