House Approves Bill to Eliminate Duplicative Pesticide Permitting Regulations
House Agriculture Committee on Thursday approved of H.R. 897, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2015 during a business meeting of the committee earlier today. The bill, introduced by Congressmen Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio), would eliminate the costly and duplicative pesticide permitting requirements imposed on thousands of farms, small businesses and local governments by a misguided decision of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in the National Cotton Council v. EPA case.
“The House Agriculture Committee took an important first step today to resolve the mess created by a misguided and poorly reasoned court decision nearly a decade ago,” said NCFC President and CEO Chuck Conner. “It is long past time to apply a bit of commonsense and plain reading of current statutes to ensure that American farmers will not continue to face duplicative and burdensome regulations that provide no environmental benefits. The House of Representatives and Congressman Gibbs in particular have been champions in this effort both in this Congress and last; our hope is that the full House will move on the bill in short order.”
The bill would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Clean Water Act to clarify congressional intent and eliminate the requirements of a Clean Water Act permit for the use of FIFRA-registered pesticides. NCFC strongly supports the registration and re-registration of pesticide products under FIFRA since the act is founded on robust science, ensuring that products in the marketplace can be used while offering the desired protections for human health and the environment.
The legislation now goes to the full House for consideration. Similar legislation passed the chamber several times in the 113th Congress only to face opposition in the Senate. It is hoped that with the GOP takeover of the Senate the likelihood of action there has increased.
Over 140 Farm Groups Signal Opposition to E-verify Without Action on Ag Immigration
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) spearheaded a letter to House leadership this week that saw over 140 agricultural organizations, cooperatives and agribusinesses express opposition to E-verify legislation so long as the labor crisis in agriculture remains unaddressed. H.R. 1147, the Legal Workforce Act, was reported out of the Judiciary Committee earlier this month. No legislation to address the current unauthorized agricultural workforce and institute a new guest worker program has yet been introduced by a member of the Committee.
“Mandatory E-Verify would have a devastating impact on our industry in the absence of a legislative solution for agriculture’s labor needs. If the House decides to move forward on mandatory E-Verify without also moving a solution for agriculture, such action would cause irreparable harm to farmers across America,” the letter states. “Immigration enforcement without a program flexible enough to address the labor needs of fruit, vegetable, dairy, nursery, and other farms, and ranches, will result in many U.S. farmers, their farm employees, and many in their rural communities losing their livelihoods as well as an overall decrease in U.S. agricultural production.”
It appears unlikely that H.R. 1147 will be taken up before the House leaves for Easter recess. In the coming weeks, the AWC will continue to work to educate members of Congress on the disastrous impact the legislation would have on farms and ranches across the country.
NCFC Joins National Ag Day Celebrations in Washington
NCFC joined farmers and other agricultural associations across the country to celebrate the importance of American agriculture during the 42nd National Agriculture Day on March 18.
“National Ag Day gives us an amazing opportunity to showcase agriculture and share the true success story that we see as we look out across rural America today,” said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of NCFC. “Agriculture continues to be a bright spot in the U.S. economy and farmer-owned cooperatives are at the core of that success.”
“In addition to providing the world with a safe, affordable and abundant food, fiber and fuel supply, American farmers, ranchers and their co-ops play an important role in strengthening the economy, providing jobs and improving life in local communities,” Conner continued.
National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America and celebrated in classrooms and communities across the country. ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society.
Founded in 1973, National Ag Day encourages every American to:
- Understand how food and fiber products are produced.
- Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
- Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
- Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.
Active Week for House Ag Committee with Hearings on Trade, WOTUS
In addition to the markup of legislation to eliminate duplicative pesticide permitting rules mentioned in the lead item of this newsletter, the House Agriculture Committee held two other hearings this week. Leading off was a meeting of the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry that examined the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Corps of Engineers’ proposed rule redefining the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). Witnesses, and panel members, expressed concern that the proposed WOTUS rule would broaden federal jurisdiction in ways that Congress never intended when passing the Clean Water Act (CWA). NCFC and other agricultural organizations have expressed strong opposition to the rule and have urged the EPA and the Corps to withdraw and rewrite the rule.
On Wednesday, the full committee held a hearing on the importance of trade to American agriculture. Testifying were Pete Kappelman, chairman of Land O’Lakes, Inc., and chairman of the International Trade Committee for the National Milk Producers Federation; Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Dr. Howard Hill, president of the National Pork Producers Federation; and Robert Guenther, senior vice president with the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association. Agriculture’s support for increased trade opportunities will be vital as the debate on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) gets underway and as the Trans Pacific Partnership is finalized.
Upcoming Events:
- Spring Executive Council Meeting—April 23-24, 2015—Washington, D.C.
- NCFC Washington Conference—June 22-24, 2015—Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
- LTA Subcommittee Chairs-Vice Chairs Meeting—September 23-25, 2015—The Edgewater, Seattle, WA
- Fall Executive Council Meeting—September 30 & October 1, 2015—Washington, DC
- Government Affairs Meeting—November 11-13—TBD