Remarks as prepared for delivery: Good morning. Thank you to Chair Spanberger for holding today’s subcommittee hearing on soil health. This is a critically important issue to American agriculture and strong farming communities. Congress has long recognized the importance of promoting soil health across the country, starting with the establishment of the Soil Conservation Service as a permanent par... Read more »
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry held a hearing on the importance of soil health. After the hearing, Subcommittee Ranking Member Doug LaMalfa (CA-1) and Ranking Member K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) made the following remarks: “Today’s hearing has not only highlighted the environmental benefits of sustained soil health, but also highlighted how ... Read more »
Washington, D.C. — House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) announced the departure of his personal office Chief of Staff, Mark Williams, this week with the following statement of thanks: “Mark has dutifully served the American people in Congress for over fifteen years, and I’ve been privileged to have him aide me in serving the people of Texas’s 11th District for the ... Read more »
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Agriculture Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee held a hearing on the impacts of eliminating an administrative abuse of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) called Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) that confers food stamps to those who might not otherwise meet the criteria to receive the benefit. After the hearin... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate you convening this hearing to discuss one of the most egregious and unnecessary loopholes in current food stamp policy. Broad-based categorical eligibility is a sham. We will hear comments and questions that refer to administrative efficiencies. We will hear hyperbolic examples of how any changes to this policy decimate school ... Read more »
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management held a public hearing examining how farm policy helps farmers in adverse conditions. After the hearing, Subcommittee Ranking Member Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-15) and Ranking Member K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) made the following remarks: “Farmers are facing unprecedented struggles – from low co... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Mr. Chairman thank you for convening this hearing to talk about what is – unfortunately – a very timely topic. We all know that farming and ranching come with a unique set of challenges and an inordinate amount of risk. It takes a very special person to be willing to borrow six or seven figures from the bank every year – more than many of us will borrow in a lifet... Read more »
Florida Daily By Rep.Ted Yoho (FL-3), member of the House Agriculture Committee Recently, there have been a variety of stories in the news reflecting extensive fraud and abuse of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). In New Jersey alone, a grocery store employee admitted he took part in a $1.9 million SNAP fraud scheme, and separately, a couple admitt... Read more »
Remarks as prepared for delivery: Thank you, Chair Plaskett. Farmers and ranchers are some of the most resilient people that I know, and thanks to our nation’s agricultural research and extension system, they remain at the forefront of innovation and productivity. As we look forward, there are consistently new threats developing and producers will need new tools in order to adapt to changing condi... Read more »
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Agriculture Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the research and extension needs of producers. After the hearing, Subcommittee Ranking Member Neal Dunn (FL-2) made the following remarks: “As producers face increasing threats from multiple risks, the need for a strong and robust agricultural research and extension syst... Read more »
