- House Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) today released the following statement regarding the chairman's mark on the FSC/ETI conference report: "Last night, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas revealed a chairman's mark on the FSC/ETI conference report. The tobacco buyout legislation, introduced by Congressman Jenkins, was inserted into the FSC/ETI bill and was passed... Read more »
The Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development, and Research held a hearing today to review the Farm Credit System (FCS) and its provisions for participating associations to exit the system. Recently, Farm Credit Services of America (FCSA), an institution of the FCS, initiated procedures to terminate its involvement in the System. Subcommittee Chairman Frank Lucas cited the importance... Read more »
The Livestock and Horticulture Subcommittee held a hearing today in Fayetteville, N.C. to review USDA's National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The USDA accelerated efforts to develop an animal ID program after the December 23, 2003 discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington state. The subcommittee heard from the Administration as well as representatives of various sta... Read more »
Congressman Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, will lead a Congressional delegation to three Southern African Customs Union (SACU) nations to discuss ongoing trade negotiations. Negotiations for a proposed U.S.-SACU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are scheduled to conclude later this year. Additionally the Delegation will stop in Morocco . The U.S. recently signed the U.S.-Moro... Read more »
- The House Agriculture Committee today mark ed-up voluntary country-of-origin labeling legislation introduced by the Chairman earlier this summer. There were several amendments offered during the mark-up, but none failed to garner sufficient votes, failing by wide margins. Most notably, a substitute amendment to modify the current mandatory law was defeated by a vote of 32-16. The "Food Promotio... Read more »
The Livestock and Horticulture Subcommittee held a hearing today to review USDA's National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The USDA accelerated efforts to develop an animal ID program after the December 23, 2003 discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington State. On April 27, Secretary Veneman announced the transfer of $18.8 million for USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation... Read more »
Congressman Jerry Moran, Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, chaired a hearing today to review the federal crop insurance program. The hearing follows up on a series of hearings held last year where producers acknowledged progress since the passage of the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000, but raised some areas of ongoing concern. T... Read more »
- The House Agriculture Committee held an oversight hearing today to review the Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) which is in danger of not being fully implemented in the remaining years of the program's life. The 2002 Farm Bill allocated $100 million in mandatory funding for the program; however, the program has only received $20 million of the mandatory funding to date. The Committee heard... Read more »
The House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Government Reform held a joint hearing today to review the Department of Agriculture's expanded Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) cattle surveillance program. The Committees heard from Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman as well as Inspector General Phyllis Fong. A complete list of witnesses is included at the end of this release. Th... Read more »
Goodlatte Statement Regarding Forest Service Roadless Areas Announcement "I applaud the Administration for taking these steps to resolve ongoing litigation over the fatally flawed roadless area policy. This policy, adopted by the previous administration in close collaboration with extreme environmentalists, would have severely limited access to almost one third of the National Forest System. Addit... Read more »
