July 21, 2016<\/p>\n
CONGRESS TAKES A LONG BREAK<\/strong><\/p>\n Congress is out of Washington for seven weeks until after Labor Day.\u00a0 First ,there\u2019s a week off for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, then a week for the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and finally a month-long August recess .\u00a0 Before leaving, both houses passed legislation to combat opioid addiction but failed to compromise on funding to limit the spread of the Zika virus.\u00a0 When they return, Congress is expected to pass a short term spending package to avoid a government shut down when the new fiscal year begins October 1, because most appropriations bills which allocate funds to the federal agencies have not been completed.<\/p>\n GMO Food Labeling Becomes a Reality<\/span><\/p>\n In the final hours before leaving town, the Senate passed (68-30) a compromise GMO labeling bill, the House passed (305-117) the Senate bill and Congress sent the legislation to the White House where the President signed it into law.\u00a0 The legislation immediately preempted Vermont\u2019s GMO labeling mandate and barred other states from imposing requirements that differ from the new federal standards.<\/p>\n In a nutshell, the new GMO law does these things:<\/p>\n Congress Writes President Obama\u2019s Initiative into Law<\/span><\/p>\n On a huge bipartisan vote (369-53), the House has approved the Global Food Security Act legislation that ensures both Feed the Future and the Emergency Food Security programs extend beyond the Obama Administration.\u00a0 Feed the Future is a $1 billion-a-year initiative that the Administration has been operating in 19 target countries to improve agricultural production, combat malnutrition and reduce child stunting.\u00a0 The Emergency Food Security Program allows USAID to provide electronic vouchers and locally produced commodities to hungry people in distressed areas around the world.\u00a0 The traditional Food for Peace Program will still be required to use American commodities.<\/p>\n TELECOMMUNICATIONS ISSUES<\/strong><\/p>\n Senators Want Rural Broadband<\/span><\/p>\n The National Grange sent a letter to the Hill commending a group of 26 senators who are asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand mobile broadband in rural areas.\u00a0 The senators say expansion of rural broadband should be a top national priority of federal and state policymakers and will address important economic, educational, health and public safety goals.\u00a0 They\u2019re asking the FCC to use its Mobility Fund to develop and improve mobile service in underserved rural and agricultural areas.<\/p>\n New Senate Caucus Supports Rural Broadband<\/span><\/p>\n Five senators, who are focusing on strengthening broadband infrastructure and deployment across the country, have formed the Senate Broadband Caucus.\u00a0 Republicans Shelly Capito of West Virginia and John Boozman of Arkansas, Democrats Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Independent Angus King of Maine aim for the caucus to promote bipartisan discussions, increase connectivity and close the digital divide in rural America.<\/p>\n Connecting Anchor Institutions<\/span><\/p>\n The Schools, Health and Libraries Coalition calls connecting our nation\u2019s schools, libraries, health clinics and other community anchor institutions to next generation high-speed broadband an important national priority.\u00a0 Their just-released report, \u201cConnecting Anchor Institutions: A Broadband Action Plan\u201d, outlines several paths to identify problems and provide solutions that improve access, funding and infrastructure.\u00a0 Among key findings in the Action Plan:<\/p>\n Lifeline Phones are Still Important<\/span><\/p>\n Lifeline is a federal-state wired and wireless telephone assistance program for low- income veterans, seniors, disabled and other special needs people across the country.\u00a0 To many, the Lifeline phone is their only communications tool and their primary way to stay in touch with doctors, get emergency assistance, find and keep jobs and connect with families.\u00a0 A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reform proposal will phase out wireless Lifeline and only subsidize broadband internet service.\u00a0 However, the FCC\u2019s own data shows that 53 % of rural Americans have no access to broadband service.\u00a0 The National Grange is asking the FCC and Congress not to phase out Lifeline service until rural America gets broadband access.\u00a0 National Grange President, Betsy Huber , has written the Secretary of the FCC, several Congressional leaders and penned op-eds in three Washington, DC area daily publications.\u00a0 Similar op-eds by New Hampshire State Grange President, Chris Heath, \u00a0appeared in the New Hampshire Business Journal and Concord Monitor.\u00a0\u00a0 West Virginia State Grange President, James Foster , authored an op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.\u00a0 The common theme running through all these communications is what good is Lifeline reform to rural America if broadband is not available now or in the foreseeable future, and in the meantime FCC is killing wireless Lifeline service?<\/p>\n Energy Breakthrough<\/span><\/p>\n Before leaving town, Congress passed the first comprehensive energy legislation since 2007 by a huge 85-12 bipartisan margin in the Senate (S.2012) and a margin of 241-178 in the House (H.R.8).\u00a0 The two bills now move to a Senate-House conference to resolve several major differences, a process \u00a0which will not be fast or easy.\u00a0 \u00a0Key provisions in one or both bills are:<\/p>\n Drones Cleared for Agriculture<\/span><\/p>\n The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released its rule to allow drones to integrate into the emerging technology of agriculture.\u00a0 Drones are expected to help producers make better environmental decisions and grow more food using less water, pesticides, fertilizer and other inputs.\u00a0 New regulations require:<\/p>\n The FAA still has to address privacy considerations and the use of data gathered on people and property.<\/p>\n Corporate Structure Protects Family Farms<\/span><\/p>\n A young farm wife blogger caught our attention with her family farm\u2019s motto, \u201cHonoring the past, working today, preparing for the future.\u201d\u00a0 Katie Heger\u2019s family raises corn, soybeans and wheat.\u00a0 She argues that providing all business structure options to farms and ranches in all states will actually preserve our agricultural family heritage.<\/p>\n \u201cCorporate farming often gets played as an emotional issue, one that many fear will take away the \u2018family\u2019 aspect of farming.\u00a0 Consumers hear the word \u2018corporate \u2018and think of suits and ties and hundreds of employees.\u00a0 But most people are at least three generations removed from farming or ranching and don\u2019t fully understand the business side of agriculture.\u00a0 A few quick numbers reveal the majority of \u2018corporate farms\u2019 are actually family businesses.\u00a0\u00a0 Of the 2.1 million farms in 2015, 5 percent were incorporated, and of that 5 percent, 4.5 percent were family-owned.\u00a0 And 98 percent of those family operations had fewer than 10 shareholders.\u00a0 Creating farm corporations opens up more opportunities for direct family involvement and allows non-blood relatives to take up the business as well.\u00a0 The ability to use the corporate structure is one way to bring upcoming generations back into production agriculture and ranching instead of pushing them away.\u00a0 As you can tell, I am a believer in opportunity, but opportunity must come with protection.\u00a0 Protections need to be in place to make sure that large industrial businesses do not overtake agriculture.\u00a0 Corporate farming options need to stay in the hands of those working the soil to raise crops and livestock.\u201d<\/p>\n Katie blogs at hegerfamilyfarms.wordpress.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nFOOD AND AGRICULTURE ISSUES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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\nOTHER ISSUES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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