In a race against the clock, the Senate Agriculture Committee released its 1,400-page draft of the five-year farm bill on Monday.
ICYMI, this comes only a few weeks before many agricultural safety net programs will start to expire.
Retiring Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D, Mich.) urged moderate Republicans to support this draft. Without support, she said progress will be stalled into the new year.
The deetz: This draft increases the farm safety net and adds $20B to the Price Loss Coverage and Agricultural Risk Coverage programs. In a compromise with Republicans, Democrats agreed to let a five-year restriction on spending through the Commodity Credit Corporation pay for the increase. The CCC previously paid for trade bailouts and climate programs.
Democrats are standing their ground on nutrition spending and climate guardrails within conservation program funding. Stabenow said Republicans could cut those in the next Congress, but not while she’s in charge.
Soundbite: “An eleventh hour partisan proposal released 415 days after the expiration of the current farm bill is insulting. America’s farmers deserve better.” — John Boozman, Senator (R-Ark.) on X
Meanwhile, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) isn’t happy either. The draft did not address California’s Prop 12, which has been a big challenge for pork producers—and consumers—in the state. The pork supply in California has shrunk, and prices have surged by more than 20%.
Where this goes: While the House released its farm bill draft in May, it still hasn’t come to a full vote. The current farm bill will likely get a short-term extension until a new one is approved.
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Congress to EPA: What’s Your BEEF with Meat Packers?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new regulations that take aim at meat and poultry processors.
And some members of Congress have a BEEF with the EPA’s proposals.
The proposed rules: In late January, the EPA released the details of its proposed “Clean Water Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point source category.”
Huh?
Basically, the EPA formally published its proposals to combat wastewater contaminants that come from slaughterhouses.
Okay… that makes more sense.
At the heart of the rules proposal is a concern from environmental groups about nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants that originate from slaughterhouses. In some cases, the wastewater goes directly into waterways. In other cases, the water goes to municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
But not everyone is on board with the EPA’s suggestions…
Congress responds: Last week, two U.S. representatives—Eric Burlison (MO) and Ron Estes (KS)—pushed back against the EPA and introduced the “Banning EPA’s Encroachment of Facilities (BEEF) Act.” If passed and signed by President Biden, the law would prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the rule.
According to the lawmakers, the proposed rules place undue burden on small processors—costs that can be absorbed by larger companies.
Soundbite: “The… proposed regulation isn’t just an attack on family-run small businesses, it’s an attack on rural communities,” said Burlison. “These meat and poultry processors are the lifeblood of our communities. The BEEF Act… lets these hardworking Americans do what they do best, produce safe, affordable food for our families.”
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