Biden Administration

President Joe Biden recently signed a National Security Memorandum to Strengthen the Security and Resilience of U.S. Food and Agriculture.  Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said the memorandum instructs government officials to identify threats to American food and agriculture and respond appropriately.   “What ...

Thanks in large part to inflation, the price of milk moved higher throughout the year, with the average price for a gallon of whole milk is up by nearly 60 cents, sitting at $4.41 in October.  How is inflation affecting the average dairy farmer in Washington?   ...

Last week, central Washington's Dan Newhouse was unanimously re-elected by the Congressional Western Caucus to serve a second term as Chairman for the 118th Congress.   “The Western Caucus will play an incredibly important and unique role in the coming years,” Newhouse said. “I am so proud ...

Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley wants to know the latest when it comes to the Seeding Rural Resilience Act.  Grassley sent a letter to the Department of Agriculture as well as Health and Human Services.  The legislation, approved in 2020, is designed to curb the rising rate of suicide in rural communities, via the National Defense Authorization Act.  Grassley’s law re...

With diesel prices more than $1.50 per gallon higher than this time last year, the American Farm Bureau Federation is calling on the Administration to bring more domestic supply online.  The Ag organization said a ban on U.S. imports of petroleum from Russia, lower domestic production capacity, and seasonal demand are all contributing to higher costs.     ...

The Congressional Western Caucus wants information regarding oversight of the Climate-Smart Commodities pilot program.  In a letter this week to the Biden administration, led by central Washington’s Dan Newhouse, as well as Maryland’s Andy Harris, the caucus outlined concerns regarding the program, which was created with no direction from Congress.  The lawmakers want ...

Online grocery buyers are spending more but buying less.  According to the Grocery Doppio Performance Report, digital sales improved in the third quarter of 2022, albeit lower than 2021 levels.  The report released this week shows 13.7% of all grocery s...

Earlier this month, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association urged the Biden administration to press pause on a new Waters of the U.S. rule.  NCBA’s Executive Director for National Resources and Executive Director of the Public Lands Council Kaitlynn Glover said they have asked the EPA to wait until the Supreme Court makes its ruling on the Sacket v. EPA case to avoid tw...

A new study from Growth Energy found nationwide access to E15 could save drivers billions in annual fuel costs, create new jobs, and return billions to the U.S. economy.  The study, conducted by ABF Economics, follows months of record-high gas prices across the country and President Biden's emergency waiver to allow the sale of E15 for the 2022 summer driving season. ...

Last month, Dan Newhouse joined over 80 House colleagues in the introduction of the Protect Farmers from the SEC act.  The legislation is a direct response to the SEC’s Proposed climate disclosure rule.  Newhouse says the SEC’s proposal would force publicly traded companies to require small, independent, family farms to report on-farm data regarding individual operations and day-to-day activities.