debbie stabenow

Senate Ag members repeatedly stressed the importance of crop insurance and the need to restructure commodity programs in the 2023 Farm Bill during the panel’s latest hearing.   “Crop insurance is the number one risk management tool for producers, but historically, hasn’t been available to some farmers who are most in need of it," said Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow.  "I’m going to conti

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattle Industry Convention took place earlier this month down in New Orleans.  NCBA CEO Colin Woodall said it was an opportunity to do the business of NCBA.   “We have our policy committees that are meeting this week. They are producers who ar...

Late last week, Representative Dan Newhouse was named a co-Chair of the House Paper & Packaging Caucus.  The bipartisan caucus represents the American paper and wood products industry, which employees over 27,000 Washingtonians.   Newh...

Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow of Michigan announced recently she won’t be running for reelection in 2024.   “Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I’ve decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate,” Stabenow said in a statement. “I’m incredibly grateful fo...

Leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee recently urged the Department of Agriculture to expand margin protection tools under the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.  Citing record high input costs and extreme volatility in commodity prices, Senators Debbie Stabenow and John Boozman said the expansion would “allow producers the opportunity to familiarize themselves with these tools and bette

Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow says she’s hopeful the Senate will confirm three agriculture nominees this week by unanimous consent.     Oregon Department of Agriculture head Alexis Taylor is the nominee for USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs; Jose Emilio Esteban is nominated for USDA undersecretary for food safety; while Vincent Logan is the nominee for the Farm Credi

Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member John Boozman as well as Senators Cory Booker and John Thune introduced legislation recently to regulate digital commodities.  The Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act of 2022 would give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission new tools and authority it needs to regulate digital commodities and safeguard customers and markets.   “...

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the administration’s Inflation Reduction Act will have a meaningful impact on America’s rural and agriculture communities. “Agriculture is at the forefront of our fight against climate change,” Vilsack said. “From climate-smart ag...

Last week, the House and Senate each passed the Keep Kids Fed Act, but the bill had to return to the House because the Senate version was slightly different.  The Hagstrom Report said the House passed the Senate’s version of the bill that requires the re-establishment of the reduced price category that Rand Paul of Kentucky insisted on including in the Senate version. The agreeme...

On a 95-4 vote, the Senate confirmed Chavonda Jacobs-Young as the USDA’s new Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics. In a floor statement before the vote, Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow called Jacobs-Young extremely qualified and says she’ll be the first woman of color to serve in the USDA’s highest scientific post. The Hagstrom ...