As Congress kicks the farm bill can down the road, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has potential remedies for farm programs.
Legislative logjam: Congress is on its third extension of work on the farm bill after prolonged debate created a logjam and kept lawmakers from passing the legislation. Other congressional priorities could keep the bill on the back burner for a while.
Funding fiasco: But issues covered by the farm bill are top-of-mind for farmers. Specifically, reference prices of commodities are a key issue amid anxiety over falling grain prices. Funding an increase in reference prices is a “big-ticket item”… with a big price tag.
Outside thinking: Debates around reference price funding included finding funds within the bill, which is projected to top a trillion dollars. However, Vilsack says funds could be found outside of the farm bill.
Vilsack argued that the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) fund can be used to address funding challenges. The CCC serves as a $30B discretionary fund for the USDA to tap for various programs.
Vilsack says the funds can assist producers “through a difficult time.” Meanwhile, economists have argued for Congress to implement more oversight of CCC usage.
Where this goes: With Congress still debating financial appropriations for fiscal year 2024, as well as foreign aid packages, some speculate that introducing the farm bill in March is a best-case scenario.
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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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