Policy Updates and Issue News March 2019

Politics Sidetrack Disaster Relief

Senators so far have failed to pass much-needed disaster aid to help farmers and ranchers recover from hurricanes, floods, tornados and wildfires.  The political divide is over how much money should go to support Puerto Rico’s humanitarian crisis.  The National Grange will continue to urge Congress to help farmers and ranchers rebound from these dire circumstances beyond their control.

Stress Down on the Farm

Storms, floods, low prices, labor shortages, uncertain credit for spring planting, and heavy workloads are causing significant strain on farmers’, ranchers’ and farm workers’ mental and emotional well-being.  The National Grange joined 22 other farm, ranch and rural organizations to ask the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Subcommittees on Agriculture Appropriations to fully fund the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network for FY 2020.  The Network provides grants for extension services, state departments of agriculture, nonprofit organizations and other entities to provide stress assistance programs to farmers, ranchers, farm workers and other agriculture-related occupations.  Around 60% of rural residents live in areas that suffer from shortages of mental and emotional well-being professional services.

Selling CBD in Food is Illegal

CBD or cannabidiol derived from hemp is a non-intoxicating compound reputed to have numerous health benefits.  CBD is being added to foods, beer, sauces and elixers.  Restaurants promote their menus structured around CBD as an ingredient.  Despite language in the 2018 Farm Bill allowing hemp to be grown as an agricultural crop, the Food and Drug Administration prohibits the addition of CBD to prepared foods.  So, for now CBD in food and drink is illegal.  FDA has scheduled a public meeting for May to receive input and has appointed an internal working group to explore how CBD could be sold legally in food, beverages and supplements.

Pesticide Residues in Vegetables and Fruits

According to the Environmental Working Group, strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines and apples top EWG’s list of fresh foods with the highest levels of pesticide residues.  The least residues were found in avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, onions and sweet peas.  However, EWG did not reveal which food items, if any, had residues above the tolerance levels set by FDA.

FDA’s Produce “Water Rule” Delayed

Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) more than eight years ago.  FDA, industry and outside scientists are still struggling to figure out the best way to ensure the water used for irrigation and packing fresh produce is safe.  In response to producer concerns, FDA has decided to give produce farms two additional years to comply with the rule’s segment on agriculture water requirements.

Beagles to the Rescue

Pork producers in the U.S. are depending on USDA’s “Beagle Brigade” to keep the deadly African Swine Fever virus away from their pigs.  ASF is a highly contagious fatal disease ripping through European and Asian pork production right now. There is no treatment or vaccine for it.  These beagles are on duty at all international airports to aid in keeping diseases and pests out of the U.S.  Customs and Border Patrol agents and USDA beagles randomly screen arriving international passengers and cargo.  The dog paws or sits near a bag or container to indicate the presence of an agricultural product.  In March, a million pounds of pork products smuggled from China were seized at the Newark, N.J. airport.  The pork was hidden in packages of noodles and laundry detergent.  Since 2015, beagles have seized prohibited agricultural goods from an average of more than 137,000 travelers per year.

Beware of Imported Drugs

The National Grange continues to take the lead to caution rural and small town residents about the little-known dangers of importing prescription drugs.  The national watchdog group Partnership for Safe Medicines has partnered with the National Grange and scores of patient advocacy, medical, pharmacy, health care, law enforcement and consumer interest organizations to once again raise awareness of the dangers of importing non-FDA approved medications that could endanger the health and safety of our communities.   In letters to President Trump, members of the Senate and members of the House of Representatives, the groups reiterated:

• Attempts to import drugs from “safe countries” like Canada could result in Americans getting counterfeit, substandard or black market medication
• There is no oversight, safety enforcement or FDA protection; Canada does not inspect, regulate or supervise transshipped medication that Canadian companies sell to Americans because these medications aren’t entering the Canadian drug supply
• Counterfeiters are using Chinese-made fentanyl and it’s coming into the U.S. freely
• For patients with serious conditions, counterfeit medicine with substandard or no active ingredient could be a death sentence
• Allowing importation is not the answer to the prescription drug price crisis in the United States

Several state Granges have been active on the imported drug issue with their state legislatures as well.

Give Drug Rebates to Patients

The price of prescription drugs is a huge concern to just about everyone.   Health and Human Services Secretary Azar has proposed changes to the Medicare Part D rebate distribution system that would require negotiated discounts on drugs to be shared with Medicare patients at point of sale.  The National Grange joined a large number of patient groups and health care organizations on a letter of support for Secretary Azar’s patient-centered proposal.  The letter reiterated:

• Rebates for prescription drugs is a secretive process with middlemen reaping the benefits while patients are left holding the bill
• Prescription drug rebates are negotiated by biopharmaceutical manufacturers, insurance plans and pharmacy benefit managers aimed at lowering the price of medicines. But unfortunately, Pharmacy Benefit Managers keep these discounts and use them to lower the plans’ overall costs instead of lowering cost-sharing for patients who use the rebated medicines.
• The proposed rule would eliminate existing protection for rebates and permit manufacturers, PBM’s and insurance plans to negotiate for discounts to be used to lower patient cost- sharing.

The dire need for ag labor nationwide is beginning to generate activity on Capitol Hill.   Representatives Lofgren (D-CA-19) and Panetta (D-CA-20) are the original sponsors of H.R. 641 which is a companion bill to S. 175 sponsored by Senator Feinstein (D-CA).  Lofgren is the new chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship which held a hearing on H.R.641 in late March.  H.R. 641 is a stand-alone ag labor bill that that would establish an earned legalization program for undocumented farm workers who have been consistently employed in U.S. agriculture and meet other requirements.  A majority of the nation’s 2.4 million farm workers are undocumented.

Value of Digital Tools to Rural America

A new report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says the digital potential of rural businesses could add billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and create thousands of full time jobs in rural communities.  The report indicates that:

• Adoption of online tools and digital services across rural areas could create more than 360,000 jobs in the next three years
• Increased adoption could grow annual revenues of rural small businesses by more than 21% over the next three years with states in the South seeing the greatest benefit
• Online tools and technology have the highest potential impact on rural small businesses with annual revenue under $100,000
• The report specifically recommends expanding education and training programs, helping rural areas attract talent, and increasing the availability of high-speed internet access and mobile phone connectivity

Use TV White Space to Deliver Broadband

The National Grange joined partners in the Connect Americans Now coalition to submit comments to USDA regarding the needs that must be addressed to ensure rural communities can survive and thrive in the modern economy.  One of several options to close the rural broadband gap is to use the unlicensed vacant channels below 608 MHz, ie. the TV white space, to deliver broadband access to underserved rural areas in a cost effective manner.

Improve Broadband Data Maps

Data maps which the Federal Communications Commission uses to show the extent of broadband coverage across the landscape are inaccurate according to those who work and live in rural America.  The FCC maps tend to overstate coverage in rural areas because if one customer in a census block has service, the Commission considers that census block provides service all customers in the area.  Those assumptions lead to a vast overstatement of broadband availability to rural areas.  Rural groups, agriculture organizations and members of Congress are asking the FCC to improve the accuracy of their broadband coverage and mobile data maps.

Fraudulent Robo-Calls

Robo-calls are annoying at the very least.  Perhaps robo-calls are better described as an ever-worsening scourge.  Block one today and more pop up tomorrow.  That’s why the National Grange issued a statement applauding AT&T and Comcast for their joint efforts to halt fraudulent robo-calls.  The companies have completed a successful cross-network test of a new system to authenticate caller ID numbers.  Once available to the public, the system will screen incoming calls by phone number to ensure the call is actually coming from the number shown.  In Congress, both Republicans and Democrats appear ready to take steps toward cracking down on scammers who prey on consumers’ phones.  Hearings have already been scheduled before the Senate Commerce Committee.

Some people prefer to get their bills, notices, reports, and the like the old fashioned way…on paper.  That’s why the National Grange is part of the Keep Me Posted North America group.  The group advocates for the right of every consumer to choose, free of charge, how they receive important information from their service providers.  Letters are sent to government agencies, companies and other entities who are switching customers from receiving paper copies to digital-only communications without receiving clear permission from their customers.