Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Austin Scott (GA-8), Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, held a hearing to review the G20 swap data reporting goals. Members heard from a panel of witnesses who shared the progress being made toward meeting the reporting and transparency goals set forth by the Group of Twenty (G20) enacted in the Dodd-Frank Wall ... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to review the state of the rural economy. According to the latest forecast from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), net farm income in the United States is expected to fall by 56 percent from 2013 to 2016, the largest three-year percentage decline in net farm income since the Great... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. David Rouzer (NC-7), Chairman of the House Agriculture Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee, held a hearing to examine the preparedness of the United States in the event of the introduction of foot and mouth disease (FMD) into the country. Members heard from a panel of witnesses who shared what steps have been taken and what still needs to be done to achiev... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to consider the impacts of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) actions on the rural economy. Members questioned EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, on the agency’s overreaching, burdensome regulations and policies such as the “waters of the United States” rule, proposed changes to the ozone standard and pesticide uses, a... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to review the 2016 agenda for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Members raised many concerns with CFTC Chairman Timothy Massad, including the importance of strong futures and derivatives markets for end-users, reforms to Dodd-Frank, the Reg AT rule and its potential impact on smaller market participants, and th... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) sent a written reply to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s February 3 letter in which the Secretary denied the request of 100 members of Congress who sent a bicameral, bipartisan letter urging the Secretary to take urgent action to stave off a farm financial crisis in the cotton belt. The members of Congre... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-TX), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, announced the promotion of Mary Nowak to Professional Staff for nutrition and welfare issues. She will oversee the committee’s continued top-to-bottom review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Last year, the committee held a total of 10 hearings dedicated to SNAP to hear fro... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Following media reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture intends to deny urgently needed assistance to American cotton farmers and the rural communities that depend on the U.S. cotton industry, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) issued the following statement. "I greatly appreciate that Secretary Vilsack has been taking time to consider the req... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-2), Chairwoman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, held a hearing to review incentive programs aimed at increasing low-income families’ purchasing power of fruits and vegetables. Members heard from a variety of witnesses on how incentive programs are increasing the consumption of healthier foods, along with the challenges and oppor... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway submitted the following remarks for Congressional Record recognizing the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture on its 100th Anniversary. Remarks as prepared: "Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). NASDA is a non-pr... Read more »
