Senate Ag Committee

By the end of this week, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow will return to her former position as Chair of the Senate Ag Committee. She noted she’s not not wasting any time, already reaching out to the Ranking Member John Boozman of Arkansas, as well as the U.S. Tr ...

With Democrats winning the two Georgia runoff Senate elections this week and a 50-50 majority expected in the chamber, Michigan’s Debbie Stabenow is poised to be the next Senate Agriculture Committee Chair. Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, will preside over the Senate, giving Democrats the slim majority. ...

Getting to know the new faces in Congress will be one of the chief priorities for the American Farm Bureau in the New Year. Executive Vice President Dale Moore says they’ll also need to get to know the new people in Ag leadership positions. ...

In an effort to balance the needs of the Central Oregon agriculture community as well as the environment, several irrigation districts are working to pipe their canals. The hope is by doing this, the Deschutes River will see better water levels during the winter months, thus helping area wildlife ...

Earlier this week, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley rolled out legislation he said will provide millions of dollars in investments for the farm community across the state and beyond. Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, says the spending bill will cover a wide variety of Ag, housing food assistance and rural business priorities that will benefit Oregon fa

Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chair John Hoeven says the Senate version of the fiscal year 2021 Ag appropriations Bill fully funds farm loan programs and supports rural innovation. The North Dakota Republican added it will also bolster future agricultural research ...

A coalition of 62 leading U.S. agriculture stakeholders is asking for continued membership in the World Trade Organization. A Corn Refiners Association sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, as well as leaders of the Senate Finance, House Ways and Means, and the House and Senate Ag Committees calling for effective WTO reform ...

A new report says the Market Facilitation Program created deep regional inequities, favored certain crops over others, and funneled money to large agricultural operations over smaller farms. Senator Debbie Stabenow, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Ag Committee, announced the Government Accountability Office report ...

The USDA is out with its final rule on payment limits and its definition of farmers who are “actively engaged”, under the 2018 Farm Bill. Senate Finance Chair and Agriculture Committee member Chuck Grassley has pursued farm payment limits for years, getting language in House and Senate farm bills twice, only to see it ditched in conference negotiations both for the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills. “Th .

On Capitol Hill last week, the Senate Ag committee heard testimony of how best to create a workable carbon credit market system for farmers. American Farm Bureau Federation President, Zippy Duvall, said whatever is created will not get much farmer support without clear rules ...