Issue Position: Agriculture

Issue Position

Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the country, and the 7th District benefits from some of the most diverse and productive farmland in our state. During the tough economic times that have plagued the Michigan economy, the steady growth of our agricultural sector has kept our economy afloat. To maintain this edge, I believe we must:

Keep Energy Prices Low
I am very concerned with rising energy prices and the impact they will have on food prices. From the field, to the factory, to the food aisle, fuel costs play a significant role in determining the cost of agricultural goods. To keep our food prices affordable, we must ensure our energy prices are affordable.

Open Markets
Not only does south-central Michigan produce the widest array of agricultural products, it produces some of the best. It is important that we adopt policies that allow our farmers and producers to look outside our region and beyond to sell food and agricultural products.

Ensure Steady Labor Supply
We also need to retain a steady labor supply for our farms, and I am working to ensure there is adequate farm labor to pick American crops. As Chairman of the Workforce Protections subcommittee, I called a hearing in September 2011 to address workforce challenges facing the agricultural industry.

Prevent Undue Regulations
The safety of our food supply can benefit from standard rules and practices, and our farmers are committed to producing safe and affordable food for consumers. However, our farmers need to have fair and commonsense rules to live by, and I oppose burdensome regulations that hinder the agricultural community. Efforts that I participated in to remove these obstacles include:

*Successfully working with the farming community to prevent a Department of Labor (DOL) rule which would have prohibited youths from working on family farms. I lead with a letter to DOL Secretary Solis in February 2012 expressing my dismay with this rule and the lack of input from farmers and ranchers. In March 2012, I questioned Secretary Solis at hearing on the reasoning behind this damaging proposal. On April 26, the DOL reversed course and revoked the rule. More information is available from the Department of Labor.

*Successfully fighting the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) attempts to regulate farm dust by sending a December 2011 letter to EPA Administrator Jackson requesting that she drop stringent dust standards, in addition to voting for H.R. 1633, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act.

*Opposing unwarranted and costly changes to the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rules by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) that would have restricted the abilities of livestock and poultry farmers to sell their product. I sent a May 2011 letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack requesting greater transparency and a consideration of economic impact in the crafting of the GIPSA rule.

*Defeating the 3% Withholding rule by voting for H.R. 674 in November 2011. This rule would have hampered farmers' cash flow by withholding 3% of all Agriculture payments, such as conservation programs and dairy support.

*Cosponsoring and voting for a series of bills to overturn senseless regulations, such as H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, and H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. These bills passed the House in March 2011 and December 2011 respectively, and are awaiting consideration by the Senate.

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