Policy Updates and Issue News January 2023
| Washington Overview |
New Congress Settles InWith the new year has come a new Congress with divided control for the first time since President Biden was elected. The House of Representatives is now controlled by a narrow Republican majority while the Senate remains controlled by Democrats. The Senate was able to quickly return to the rhythm of legislating and for the most part looks the same as it did last Congress with the same committee chairs and similar committee compositions. In contrast, the House under new Republican control has changed significantly. Following a lengthy process to elect a new Speaker of the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was chosen. As part of this process, McCarthy had to make significant changes at the request of more conservative members of the House Republican Conference. In general, these changes decreased the power of Republican leadership and increased the power of individual members to block or slow down legislation. For more details on these changes, see our Advocacy Playbook from this month. With a Speaker elected, the House proceeded to select a new set of Republican Committee chairs and new committee rosters. Of note to the Grange, the new Agriculture Committee Chair is Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), a long-time friend of the Pennsylvania State Grange and the new Energy & Commerce Committee Chair is Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) a friend and member of the Washington State Grange. House Republicans Assert PrioritiesAs the House of Representatives moves from the business of organizing itself to the business of legislating, the new House Republican majority is beginning to assert its priorities. To start, House Republicans have held votes on priorities including abortion, border security/immigration, competition with China, oversight of the federal government and Biden administration, and more. It is important to note that these are just signaling bills, as for any legislation to pass it would have to also be approved by the Democratic Senate and signed by President Biden. Some House Republicans have also indicated their interest in negotiating serious spending cuts before agreeing to raise the debt ceiling this summer and before voting on a government funding program in the Fall. These Republicans have made clear that they would be willing to let the government default on its debt or shut the government down for prolonged periods if they are unable to get Democrats in the Senate to agree to their spending demands. Either a default on government debt or a government shutdown would do serious damage to the economy, so Republican House leadership has already begun negotiations behind closed doors with a goal of avoiding either outcome. |
| Agriculture and Food |
New Protection for HoneybeesThe USDA has approved a conditional license for a vaccine to protect honeybees from the deadly American foulbrood disease. The vaccine, developed by Dolan Animal Health, could serve as a breakthrough to protect bee colonies. American foulbrood disease is highly contagious and has no cure. The vaccine contains an inactive version of the bacteria that causes foulbrood and is incorporated into a royal jelly feed given to the queen bee by worker bees. This gives her offspring, the young bee larvae, immunity to the disease as they hatch. Smuggled Eggs in Your PanU.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel are reporting a rise in attempted egg smuggling at the Mexican border. They attribute the increase in smuggling to a 59.9% spike in U.S. egg prices over the past year. U.S. egg production is down sharply as the result of the massive outbreak of deadly avian flu among American flocks. Eggs must be inspected and originate from disease free flocks to enter the U.S. Farm Bill Process BeginsThe new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, G.T. Thompson (R-PA), and several bipartisan members of his committee held a farm bill listening session at the recent Pennsylvania Farm Show. Afterwards Chairman Thompson said that, in addition to the commodity title, his committee would focus on crop insurance, cost inflation, nutritional assistance, rural broadband, and agriculture research. |
| Conservation / Environment |
New WOTUS Rule IssuedThe Biden administration decided not to wait on a Supreme Court ruling and has issued a “new waters of the U.S.” rule. Farmer, rancher, landowner, construction, real estate, energy and infrastructure groups and numerous members of Congress describe the rule as a “thinly veiled land-grab” and “another bureaucratic attack on rural America.” The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture called the rule a “statement of federal overreach.” The Supreme Court is reviewing EPA’s jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and their ruling on the definition of WOTUS will take precedence. |
| Health Care |
FDA Proposes Annual COVID BoostersThe Food and Drug Administration has proposed updating COVID boosters every fall like the flu shot. As they do with flu shots, the FDA would assess COVID strains annually and each summer would recommend the strain to be targeted by the fall booster. Telehealth and Hospital-at-Home Waivers ExtendedThe Medicare telehealth flexibilities enacted during the pandemic and the Acute Hospital at Home program have been extended through 2024 by the omnibus year-end spending package passed by Congress in late December. This will allow people with high deductible health plans to receive telehealth coverage without meeting their annual deductible first. It also allows continued treatment for common acute conditions in home settings under the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program. The National Grange supported both extensions. |
| Telecommunications |
FCC Guidance Needed for Rural BroadbandBarriers such as rights-of-way, poll attachment fees, slow permitting and other barriers are slowing rural broadband deployment projects. The National Grange wrote Federal Communications Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in late January to urge the Commission to issue its long-awaited guidance document addressing these barriers. Until these barriers are mitigated, rural broadband is at risk of falling behind for the funding provided in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. New Broadband Coverage Maps ChallengedThe Federal Communications Commission spent most of the past year creating its own country-wide maps of locations deemed to have access to high speed broadband. Once the new maps were released, the FCC asked for challenges to the accuracy of the new data by January 13. Almost 350,000 challenges were received. So, if you or your neighbors do not currently have high-speed internet, contact your state broadband agency to be sure you are listed correctly on the new map of your area. For example, in Vermont the FCC says about 59,000 people are unserved or underserved. But the Vermont Community Broadband Board says it’s well over 10,000 addresses that are unserved or underserved. Several lawmakers have called for a 60 day extension to the challenge process to give states more time to verify and submit accurate data. Similar feedback is coming from Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia and others. |
| U.S. Postal Service |
Post Office Improves Ballot DeliveryThe 2022 midterm elections saw 98.6 percent of the 54.4 million ballots delivered within three days according to U.S.P.S. Postmaster General DeJoy. Extra collections and deliveries were made, special pick-ups were established, processing facilities expanded their hours, and expedited deliveries were made to boards of elections. |
| Right to Repair |
John Deere Takes a StepThe John Deere Company and the American Farm Bureau have signed a memorandum of understanding that could enable farmers and ranchers to repair their own equipment. Though the MOU has no legal standing, it agrees to provide access to parts, tools, software and documentation to perform repair and maintenance by equipment owners and their independent mechanics. Time will tell if additional equipment manufacturers will follow suit to support owner repair and maintenance. |
| Of Interest |
The Electric Vehicle DebateFarmers, ranchers and rural Americans in general seem to be skeptical about electric vehicles. Americans, and rural residents more specifically, are leery of EV milage range. Despite rapid improvements in battery capacity, internal combustion engines are the only practical choice for country people at this time. Recharging stations for EVs are scarce and will be built last in rural locations. Electrification is not practical yet for large equipment like farm equipment. The price of EVs is tempering sales, especially in a down economy. It may be a decade or several before EVs outnumber internal combustion engine vehicles on the road. |
| Perspective |
| “When I started county my blessings, my whole life turned around.” ~ Willie Nelson
“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” ~ Cicero
“Thank you is the best prayer anyone could say.” ~ Alice Walker “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ~ John F. Kennedy “I hit my knees every day and express gratitude.” ~ Kelsey Grammer “There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark.” ~ Helen Keller |
