Saying the time to protect farmers who grow winter-planted crops is running out, Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committe on Agriculture, today announced that the committee would consider a one-year correction of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to alleviate uncertainty resulting from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) tardiness in issuing a final rule and commen... Read more »
The Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee has postponed it's hearing on U.S. European Union trade scheduled for 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 16. In a letter today to Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), Chairman of the Subcommittee, J. David Carlin, Assistant Secretary of Congressional Relations at USDA, wrote: "Due to the sensitive state of current negotiations with the European Union on veterinary equiva... Read more »
A new scientific report showing that current federal policies for managing public and private forests nationwide are not achieving critical environmental results is powerful evidence of the need for a more creative, active management of the nation's forests, Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, said today. The report, prepared by an independent panel of hig... Read more »
Acting swiftly to end waste, fraud, and abuse in the food stamp program, the House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed H.R. 1000, a bill requiring states to establish systems to verify that prisoners are not participating in the food stamp program. On Monday, March 10, The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report which concluded that millions of dollars are wasted in food stamp o... Read more »
Continuing it's effort to reduce trade barriers and open new markets for American farm products, the House Committee on Agriculture, led by Chairman Bob Smith (R-OR), traveled to Mexico last week, seeking Mexico's understanding and flexibility on sanitary and phytosanitary concerns. As a result, in a letter today, the Members have asked President Bill Clinton to recognize the state of Sonora as ho... Read more »
Congressman Bob Smith (R-OR), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, today applauded Canada's decision to drop restrictions prohibiting the transshipment of U.S. durum wheat through St. Lawrence Seaway facilities, shipments previously prohibited by concerns over karnal bunt fungus. Chairman Smith and five other members of the U.S. House of Representatives had raised the issue with Canadia... Read more »
The Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture today heard complaints of discrimination from minority farmers and those of limited means, as Subcommittee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) said there was no room in any federal program for racism. "The USDA has done its own review and, well-intentioned as it might be, we nonetheless have an obligation to exerci... Read more »
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman testified on agricultural trade today before the House Committee on Agriculture, where Oregon Congressman Bob Smith, the committee's chairman, warned that American farmers and ranchers can compete in any market in the world, but only if given a level playing field. "American farmers and ranchers, the most productive in the world, can prosper only where there... Read more »
Delving deeper into the major issues confronting America's farmers and ranchers, the House Committee on Agriculture this week tackles two topics in the forefront of Agriculture's policy agenda: the vital role trade plays now and in agriculture's future, and charges of discrimination in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's lending practices. On Tuesday, March 18, the full Committee on Agriculture, ... Read more »
Saying the time is right to consider reforming the futures markets, Rep. Tom Ewing (R-IL), Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Risk Management and Specialty Crops, today announced that the subcommittee will hold hearings on April 15, 16, and 17 to review H.R. 467, the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) Amendments of 1997, and other measures to reform and modernize the CEA, the principal la... Read more »
