The Strength of American Agriculture

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Mann for his leadership and also for hosting us tonight on this special occasion to talk about American agriculture.

I am truly proud to stand with my colleagues to talk about something that affects and impacts every single person not only in this room but listening tonight: the American agriculture industry.

In central Washington, where I am from, I know our industry is made up of honest, hardworking, freedom-loving Americans that provide food and fiber for this Nation. My community is home to some of the most dedicated, innovative agricultural producers in the entire country.

Washington farmers and ranchers produce over 300 different commodities, including high-quality hay, wheat, beef, dairy, wine grapes, hops--which I raise--potatoes, cherries, mint, and, of course, Washington's iconic apples.

Blessed with the conditions to produce such a diverse range of crops, central Washington is proud to share its natural abundance to help feed the country and feed the world. Those of us who live there have a deep appreciation for our Nation's farmers and recognize how important it is that we have a strong domestic agricultural sector.

But lately, unfortunately, the President and his far-left Democrats are so focused on radically altering the country with their trillion- dollar spending proposals, they are blind to the impacts their own policies are already having on Americans across the country. The cost of living is at a 40-year high and still going up. Now, they are looking to raise taxes again on small businesses, on family farms.

As a lifetime farmer and former director of the Department of Agriculture for the State of Washington and current chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I understand the vested interests that we all share in supporting our agricultural producers. I am proud to join my House Republican colleagues in advocating against burdensome regulations that impact rural communities and for real solutions, not just empty promises, to help our farmers and our ranchers, our farmworkers, and all Americans, who deserve a strong food supply chain.

I introduced the first serious agricultural labor reform bill to pass the House in over 30 years, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, to ensure that those who wish to come to our country, abide by our laws, and contribute to our farms, ranches, and local communities are able to do so.

I, along with my Republican colleagues, am leading efforts to stop our foreign adversaries, such as Communist China, from gobbling up American farmland and taking control of our food supply chain.

I am protecting our hydroelectric dams in the Northwest that provide irrigation water, baseload power for central Washington and beyond, and serve as a sustainable and efficient way to transport our Nation's crops. The Columbia River barges carry more than 50 percent of U.S. wheat destined for export, and barging on the Columbia and Snake Rivers system keeps--get this--700,000 semitrucks off the roads and their emissions out of the air each and every year.

I am leading the entire Congressional Western Caucus in fighting against this administration's efforts to revive the single-most overreaching Federal regulatory action in history. It is called the waters of the United States rule, or the WOTUS rule. This dangerous policy empowers Federal bureaucrats to place every single body of water--every ditch, every puddle, every stream--under Federal regulation. As a result, the livelihoods of our farmers and rural communities across the Nation--not just in Washington; all over the country--are at stake.

While it is clear to me, just as I know it is clear to my constituents, President Biden and Democrats are failing to display the leadership America needs and deserves, there is a silver lining here. American agriculture is strong. We have overcome far worse, and we will not let these radical policies hold us back from the job of feeding this Nation.

I call on the administration to take a good long look at how their policies are harming us here in central Washington and in rural communities across the country and take immediate steps to reverse them. We deserve far better.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Mann for helping recognize the importance of American agriculture, and I appreciate his leadership.

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