At a hearing today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation, and Credit led by Chairman Bill Barrett (R-NE) reviewed a proposal to improve a watershed project in Texas and considered legislation responding to the maintenance and improvement issues involving a large number of similar projects originally funded by the federal government. In November of ... Read more »
Today Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) along with members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry, questioned representatives of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) on the lack of priority in implementation in the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program by the USFS. The FIA program has the enthusiastic support of professional foresters, enviro... Read more »
While pleased that USDA is making some loan money available to producers, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) questioned why the Administration is acting only now to cover a funding gap that has existed for well over a month. Anticipating $1.1 billion in loan funds with House and Senate passage on Thursday of H.R. 1141, the president on Friday directed USDA to shift $30 milli... Read more »
REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT COMMITTEE LEADERS URGE ZERO FUNDING INCREASE FOR FOREST SERVICE, EXPRESS STRONG CONCERN OVER FOREST HEALTH AND MAINTENANCE In a letter sent to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-FL) and Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula (R-OH), Agriculture Committee leaders from both sides of the aisle urged appropriators to provide no increase for n... Read more »
$6 BILLION READIED FOR NEW, PERMANENT CHANGES IN FARM FINANCIAL SAFETY NET As the House of Representatives prepares to vote on the Budget Resolution for the Fiscal Years 2000-2004, Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) expressed his strong support for the resolution including a total of $6 billion in new agriculture funding authority which will allow Congress to enact permanent chang... Read more »
REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT COMMITTEE LEADERS URGE CAUTION IN NEW PLANT REGULATIONS, REQUEST EPA RE-PROPOSE PLANT-PESTICIDE RULE At a joint hearing today of two House Agriculture Subcommittees, Chairmen Tom Ewing (R-IL) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) brought together representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), industry groups, and the scientific community to review the potential effects and... Read more »
SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET RENEWS FUNDS FOR FARM LOANS By a vote of 220 to 211, passage of supplemental appropriations for the current year (H.R. 1141) includes $110 million to support $1.1 billion for loans that farmers and ranchers need to finance the season's work in the fields and pastures, and then pay back at harvest. An estimated 12,000 producers have been left without a loan source since early Fe... Read more »
SCRUTINY FOCUSES ON COST OF NEW LIVESTOCK FEEDING REGS (March 23, 1999) Concerned that the financial hardships of livestock producers will worsen under new regulations announced by the vice president, 52 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives — including Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest, Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Joe Skeen and Majority Leader Richard Armey ... Read more »
COMBEST CALLS LIFTING TRADE SANCTIONS BEST FOR FARMING AND RANCHING FAMILIES U.S. House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) declared that U.S. foreign policy should not use food as a weapon that backfires on the American farmer and rancher. There are four countries where the president has administrative authority to modify sanctions affecting agricultural goods. Combest on Frida... Read more »
USDA FACES RIGOROUS QUESTIONING OVER CROP DISASTER RELIEF DELAYS At a hearing today of the House Agriculture Committee, members led by Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) strongly rebuked Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman for the unprecedented delays in delivering crop disaster payments authorized by Congress in October 1998. Five months ago, the President signed into law H.R. 4328, an Omnibus Appro... Read more »
