NCFC, Ag Workforce Coalition Reiterate Need for Immigration Reform as Outlook for House Action in 2014 Fades
The last two weeks have seen the prospects for House action on immigration legislation this year go from “long shot” to “almost certainly not going to happen.” On Monday, June 30th, President Obama made a statement to the press in the Rose Garden, saying that he had been informed by Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) that there would be no action on immigration in this Congress; the President then announced the Administration would seek to use executive orders to address border security and the status of undocumented aliens in the U.S.
In response to the Mr. Obama’s remarks, NCFC President and CEO Chuck Conner issued a statement saying, “[a]ny executive action that the President takes on immigration will not adequately solve agriculture’s problems in finding a legal, skilled and dependable workforce now or in the future; the President admitted as much in his remarks today. Executive action will only freeze in place the current dysfunctional state of affairs. Farmers will continue to be unable to find the workers they need to pick crops or care for livestock; more food production will go overseas; local economies across the country will suffer; and the American consumer will ultimately pay more for the food they eat.”
Then this week, a press conference was held by Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) who has championed immigration reform in the House and had developed a bipartisan bill that he had hoped to introduce this summer. Mr. Diaz-Balart said during the press conference that he too had been told as well that the House would not be taking up the issue.
It appears that the immigration issue has left the realm of policy and is now fully enmeshed in politics. For the farmers, ranchers and growers across the country who cannot find a skilled, legal and dependable workforce, this inaction only adds to the crisis.
At the same time, continuing to keep up the pressure for Congress to act, if not this Congress then next, must continue if there is to be any hope of action in the medium-term. NCFC and the Agriculture Workforce Coalition continue to assess the dynamics of the situation and are developing plans to ensure that agriculture continues to tell the story of why action is needed. To this end, the AWC has just launched a revamped web site and social media presence which can be found online at www.agworkforcecoalition.org.
Vermont Dairy Farmer, Mother & Blogger Discusses Biotechnology Benefits at House Hearing
Farmers need to do a better job at connecting with the public when talking about the benefits that biotechnology brings to producers, consumers and the environment, said Joanna Lidback, a dairy farmer from northeast Vermont, on Wednesday. Lidback, who also keeps a blog documenting her family’s life on the farm (farmlifelove.com), testified during a hearing of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture. Also testifying at the hearing were Dr. David Just of Cornell University, Dr. Calestous Juma of Harvard University and Dr. Olga Bolden-Tiller of Tuskegee University.
“I believe that biotechnology plays a major role in our collective ability to not only feed a growing global population but also to make individual improvements on our own farms, be it 45 cows or 4500; a row crop operation or an apple orchard; a multiple-generation farm or a beginning farmer,” she said. “The science shows that GMOs are safe and bring tremendous benefits, but we in agriculture have failed to communicate this effectively with the public.”
Lidback testified on behalf of Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
She concluded her statement by reiterating the need for producers to engage more with the public on issues relating to agriculture’s use of biotechnology.
“I’m happy to continue speaking up for our right to farm in whatever way we choose which in our case includes biotechnology and the use of GMOs. It’s important to share my knowledge about the opportunities and challenges we face as modern-day farmers and modern-day parents,” Lidback concluded. “When I have one person, or ten people, reach out to me for a question or appreciating my hands-on and practical perspective from the farm, then I have succeeded.”
A full copy of the testimony is available online here.
Tax Legislation Update
The House of Representatives on Friday approved a bill that would permanently extend 50 percent bonus depreciation. The bill includes a provision that would make bonus depreciation available to producers of trees and vines that bear fruit and nuts. President Obama has said he will veto the bill – which is not paid for – if it reaches his desk.
On July 10 the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees held separate markups to approve $10.8 billion transportation funding bills. Both bills include a pension smoothing provision as a revenue offset. Using smoothing, minimum pension plan contribution levels are lowered, resulting in increased taxable income for employers. The House provision would raise $6.4 billion over 10 years, while the Senate version would raise $2.7 billion over the same time period. The House is scheduled to consider its transportation funding bill, H.R. 5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, next week.
Groups Submit Comments on Interpretive Rule to the Waters of the U.S. Expansion
NCFC joined with a broad coalition of other farm and agriculture groups in urging the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Corps of Engineers to withdraw the Interpretive Rule issued in conjunction with the agencies’ proposed rule expanding the definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA).
While the proposed WOTUS expansion remains open for comment until this October (and will not be final until some point after the agencies have considered comments), the Interpretive Rule was final upon release, though stakeholders were given an opportunity to comment after the fact. The Interpretive Rule outlines a list of 56 activities that could qualify for the CWA “normal farming” exemption from permitting requirements if they conform to USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation practice standards.
The letter outlined a number of problems with the Interpretive Rule and its intent. For instance, the groups state, these NRCS practices are often detailed and involve cross-reference with other standards that might be outside the scope of the Interpretive Rule’s list. In addition, these standards were designed to be used in a flexible, voluntary setting and meeting them in a mandatory setting could present serious challenges to producers. Further, the rule would create new “bright line” standards that could open farmers and ranchers to citizen lawsuits and severe financial penalties for minor and non-impactful deviations from the NRCS standards.
The prospect of the agencies withdrawing or significantly revising the Interpretive Rule remains unclear. Ultimately, it is more of a sideshow to the main event of the proposed expansion of the WOTUS definition. NCFC continues to gather the information needed to draft comments on the broader WOTUS issue by the October deadline, and the organization continues to educate members of Congress and other policy makers on the broad impact that such an expansion would have on farms and co-ops across the country.
Upcoming Events:
- Fall NCFC Executive Council Meeting—September 25 & 26, 2014—NCFC offices, Washington, D.C.
- LTA Subcommittee Chairs/Vice Chairs Meeting—October 2 & 3, 2014—Four Seasons Hotel, Austin, Texas
- NCFC Human Resources Conference—October 23-24, 2014—Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago, Ill.
- Government Affairs Committee Meeting—November 12-14, 2014—Benson Hotel, Portland, Ore.
- 86th NCFC Annual Meeting—February 11-13, 2015—Paradise Point Hotel, San Diego, Calif.