The Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit held a public hearing to review the state of the livestock industry. Members heard from two panels of witnesses that ranged from the Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to an array of experts representing the animal agriculture industry. Together, they highlighted issues, such as regulatory burdens, feed costs, drought, animal disease, and trade, that are impacting this sector of the agricultural economy. Read more »
Members of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture examined current research and application of management strategies to control pests and diseases of pollinators such as honey bees. Read more »
Reps. Frank Lucas, Fred Upton, Steve King, and Tim Murphy sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requesting information on the agency's efforts to oversee states administering the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is intended to provide benefits to those Americans most in need of energy assistance. Read more »
Reps. Frank Lucas, Collin Peterson, K. Michael Conaway, and David Scott introduced H.R. 4413, the Customer Protection and End-User Relief Act. This legislation is a bipartisan effort to reauthorize and improve the operations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), as well as address concerns relating to protecting customers from another market failure such as MF Global and Peregrine Financial. Read more »
Chairman Frank Lucas today held a hearing with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to review the state of the rural economy. With the recent enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, progress on implementing the law was the primary topic of discussion. Read more »
Rep. Glenn 'GT' Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry, held a public hearing to review the impact of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and related legislation on the U.S. Forest Service. Read more »
Rep. Frank Lucas, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and Rep. Doug LaMalfa issued a statement in response to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) No-Action Letter to exempt producers, utility companies, and other non-financial entities from being required to register as a swap dealer when they enter into energy contracts with government-owned utilities. Read more »
Chairman Frank Lucas today issued the following statement on the dedication of the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug statue that is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection of the U.S. Capitol. Read more »
Chairman Frank Lucas today welcomed Rep. Vance McAllister, who represents the Fifth District of Louisiana, to the House Agriculture Committee. Read more »
