Today, the House Committee on Agriculture heard about drought, flood, fire and other weather-related disaster conditions that are affecting agriculture producers in many parts of the United States. “Each year, farmers invest a great deal of time and resources into their crop, but all the hard work and money in the world can’t guarantee a good harvest and one of the most unpredictable and important... Read more »
Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management held a hearing to review reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Congressman Bob Etheridge of North Carolina is Chairman of the Subcommittee. “Today, the Subcommittee took another important step on the road to reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission,” said Chair... Read more »
Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to review the structural changes taking place in agriculture and their impacts on the farm economy. The committee heard testimony from a panel of three economic analysts about recent developments in the farm economy, examining both short- and long-term trends in prices and farm output. The committee also discussed rising input costs from energy... Read more »
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution that sets an ambitious goal to expand renewable energy production in the United States over the next two decades. The 25 by ’25 Resolution (H.CON.RES. 25) expresses the sense of Congress that by the year 2025, at least 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States should come from homegrown renewable sources. Currently, ... Read more »
Today, the House Committee on Agriculture heard from agriculture organizations and farmers concerned with the growing shortage of farm labor in the United States. As a labor-intensive industry, agriculture relies heavily on seasonal workers to produce and harvest a wide variety of products. Agriculture employs more than 3 million people every year in this country, and the need for an adequate agri... Read more »
Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture held a hearing to examine the joint performance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in protecting U.S. agriculture from foreign pests and diseases. Congressman Dennis Cardoza o... Read more »
Today, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing to review H.R. 1011, the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007. H.R. 1011 would designate certain lands in the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia as wilderness, wilderness study areas, and National Scenic Areas. The bill would require USDA to develop management plans and ecological restoration requirements for designated areas of the fore... Read more »
Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management held a hearing to review reauthorization of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA). Congressman Bob Etheridge of North Carolina is Chairman of the Subcommittee. “The futures industry impacts our lives every single day, affecting almost everything from the price of corn, wheat, and soybeans that goes into our food p... Read more »
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a new Farm Bill that makes historic investments in fruit and vegetable production, conservation, nutrition and renewable energy while maintaining a strong safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers. “This Farm Bill is about much more than farms. It is about the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and increasingly the fuel we will use. It assures that... Read more »
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson issued the following statement: “Today, the Bush Administration failed rural America and all Americans by threatening to veto the 2007 Farm Bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee. This Farm Bill is supported by a broad spectrum of agriculture, conservation, nutrition and renewable energy advocates. It represents a carefully crafted compromise ... Read more »
