Hidden Senate amendment siphons school resources, adds confusion July 18, 2001 – What amounted to an afterthought amendment added long after the passage of the Senate version of the Education Bill will require schools to divert attention and money to new regulations that are already covered by strict laws on the use of pesticides. Department Operations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Bob Goodl... Read more »
Approval sets urgency for Senate to act within weeks (June 26, 2001) – House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-Texas) led support for today's House passage of economic assistance for farmers squeezed by low prices and high input costs for 2001 crops. H.R. 2213, "The Crop Year 2001 Agricultural Economic Assistance Act," passed the U.S. House of Representatives without objection. Agric... Read more »
House Agriculture Committee Chairman pulls support for bill on Trade Promotion Authority (June 22, 2001) U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-Texas) expressed stern displeasure that the USDA is unilaterally eroding farmers' footing in world trade with today's notification to the World Trade Organization that late-season Market Loss Assistance payments made to American farmers... Read more »
Members adopt Stenholm-Boehner substitute amendment by 24 to 23 Committee vote (June 20, 2001) – House Agriculture Committee Members voted 24 to 23 on Wednesday to adopt a substitute $5.5 billion package of economic assistance for producers to be used in the 2001 Fiscal Year that expires September 30. Chairman Larry Combest (R-Texas) had presented the Committee with legislation that would have pro... Read more »
Ag Chairman Observes Rising Role for Ethanol (June 12, 2001) U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-Texas) observed that Tuesday's EPA announcement holding California to clean-burning gasoline standards elevates ethanol as the clean, renewable, American-grown choice for a comprehensive energy plan. Tuesday morning, EPA announced that it would not approve the State of California... Read more »
Subcommittee Continues Review of Conservation Programs (June 6, 2001) The Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Research held the second of three hearings to discuss conservation issues. Specifically, the Subcommittee is interested in how current conservation programs are operating, what changes are necessary and their funding levels, and whether new programs are needed to he... Read more »
General Farm Commodities Subcommittee Farm Bill Field Hearing Schedule (June 6, 2001) General Farm Commodities Subcommittee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has announced a series of field hearings to provide producers opportunity to discuss in depth how individual farm programs affect them. Expanding on last year's groundbreaking series of full committee hearings in rural communities, the General ... Read more »
Top USDA, Commerce, Trade officials detail impacts on America's producers (May 23, 2001) Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, Secretary of Commerce Don Evans and the United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick testified Wednesday before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture regarding Bush Administration proposals for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the impact of those propos... Read more »
National Dairy Policy Reviewed by Subcommittee (May 22, 2001) Representatives of the nation's dairy industry took a seat at the witness table before the Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture this morning. Subcommittee Chairman Richard W. Pombo (R-CA) convened the hearing in order to facilitate a discussion of the ongoing reform of the dairy industry and the upcoming farm bill. "America's dair... Read more »
Subcommittee Holds Field Hearings to Further Farm Bill Process (May 16, 2001) General Farm Commodities Subcommittee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has announced a series of field hearings to provide producers from around the country an opportunity to discuss in depth how individual farm programs affect them. Expanding on last year's groundbreaking series of full committee hearings in rural commun... Read more »
