Remarks as prepared for delivery: Today we will once again consider the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act. As many of you will remember, this Committee met four years ago to mark up this very same bill text. That bill, H.R. 872, was reported out of our committee by voice vote and passed the House floor on suspension with a vote of 292-130. The same bill passed the House in the last Congress as H.R. ... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. K. Michael Conaway, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, held a public hearing to review the importance of trade to U.S. agriculture. In 2014, U.S. agricultural exports reached a record-setting $152.5 billion, an increase of 58% over the last five years. Members and the witnesses emphasized that with 95 percent of the world’s population residing outside of... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: I want to start by welcoming all of our witnesses and thanking them for taking time out of their busy schedules to come share their thoughts with us today. As those of us in this room are aware, America’s farmers and ranchers are the most productive in the world. They have continuously proven their ability to meet rapidly-growing and ever-changing demands here at ... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - At a hearing this morning of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Under Secretary for Agriculture Kevin Concannon indicated that the Department would grant a short-term 30 day comment period extension for the report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. “The 571 page report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee not only went way out of scope in de... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee, held a public hearing to review the definition of “waters of the United States” proposed rule and its impact on rural America. Enacted in 1972, the Clean Water Act (CWA) established a federal-state government partnership to better regulate and manage the nation’... Read more »
Remarks as prepared: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses testifying today. Our farmers, ranchers and foresters have a great champion in Chairman Thompson. In the 114th Congress, he is once again chairman of the subcommittee that both highlights the important work they are doing and oversees conservation and forestry programs and regulations. The men and women who farm, ranch an... Read more »
Remarks as prepared: Good morning and welcome to today’s hearing to review the definition of the “waters of the United States” proposed rule and its impact on rural America. The Clean Water Act created a historic partnership between the federal government and the states to protect our nation’s navigable waterways. However, since the law’s inception, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have on ... Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee K. Michael Conaway (TX-11), Nutrition Subcommittee Chairwoman Jackie Walorski (IN-2), and Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (NC-7) sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell raising concerns about recommendations received from the Dietary... Read more »
“SNAP is essential in protecting the most vulnerable citizens during tough times, but we need to have a complete understanding of its mission and purpose.” That was the message from House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway this week as the committee began its top-to-bottom review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps. SNAP is now t... Read more »
Remarks as prepared: Good afternoon and welcome to this year’s first meeting of the Nutrition Subcommittee. Thank you all for making time in your schedules to be here and thank you to today’s witnesses for your participation. Today, I would like to give you a glimpse of what lies ahead for this subcommittee over the next two years as we review SNAP. Before we begin, I want to take an opportunity f... Read more »
