Congressman Mike Sodrel

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Agriculture

Agriculture accounts for 16 percent of Hoosier jobs and $5.5 billion in farm cash receipts making it an important part of Indiana’s economy and the Hoosier way of life. Rep. Sodrel understands the role agriculture plays in developing strong family values and providing jobs. He is working hard to ensure agricultural producers have the tools they need to succeed. This include free and fair trade agreements providing Indiana farmers access to foreign markets, elimination of the estate tax, protecting private property rights and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.

If you are an agricultural producer and you would like to influence domestic agricultural policy, I encourage you to visit the House Committe on Agriculture's webpage and fill out a form to submit your comments on the 2002 Farm Bill. The submission form can be reached by clicking here.

· H.R. 2744—Fiscal Year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill: Rep. Sodrel voted for the final Conference Report to provide $17 billion for agricultural programs. This amount is $258 million or 1.5% over Fiscal Year 2005 levels. H.R. 2744 was signed into law by President Bush on November 10, 2005.

Highlights of H.R. 2744:

o Provides $1.03 billion for the Farm Service Agency, an increase of $30 million over FY 2005;

o $1.266 billion for the Agricultural Research Service and $840 million for Conservation operations;

o $1.2 billion for the PL 480 program (Food for Peace) to purchase commodities from U.S. farmers for foreign humanitarian aid; and

o No new user fees for the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) or the Agricultural Marketing Service as originally proposed by the President.

· Promoting Free and Fair Trade for Indiana’s Agricultural Producers: Free and fair trade is vital to the success of Indiana farmers. To help reduce trade barriers and increase exports for Indiana farmers, Rep. Sodrel supported the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) to reduce tariffs with Central American nations. The passage of CAFTA-DR means the “one-way street” of duty-free access currently enjoyed by DR-CAFTA nations becomes a “two-way street” to level the playing field by increasing market access for U.S. commodities. The President signed DR-CAFTA into law on August 2, 2005.

· H.R. 2045—Farming Flexibility Act of 2005: Rep. Sodrel is a cosponsor of H.R. 2045 to allow Indiana farmers more flexibility in deciding what fruits and vegetables they want to grow. This bill modifies a provision in the 2002 Farm Bill to account for farmers who want to rotate crops but do not have a history of fruit or vegetable production. This bill will help Indiana farmers become less dependant on farm programs and help save taxpayers $23 million over ten years (CBO).

· Small Business Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, Agriculture and Technology: To help address the needs of his district, Rep. Sodrel is an active member of the House Small Business Committee and serves on Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, Agriculture and Technology. This Subcommittee is responsible for promoting the growth of small businesses in rural areas, improving regulations governing agricultural programs affecting small businesses and general oversight of federal programs targeted at agricultural relief.

· Tobacco Growers: In an effort to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture was properly implementing the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act, Rep. Sodrel joined his colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns clarifying Congressional intent. The letter asks Secretary Johanns to ensure all tobacco manufacturers and importers are imposed a fair assessment of market share. The adoption of this practice will prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from experiencing any funding shortfall and provides Indiana tobacco growers a level playing field under the Act.

· Protecting the Property Rights of Indiana Farmers and Ranchers: Rep. Sodrel was deeply disappointed with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Kelo vs. New London, CT. This decision puts the property rights of Indiana landowners in jeopardy and goes beyond the intent of the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, Rep. Sodrel helped spearhead legislation through the House as a cosponsor of H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Act of 2005 to protect the rights of Indiana property owners. This bill prevents State and political subdivisions receiving federal economic development aid from engaging in the power of eminent domain. In addition, the House adopted by voice vote an amendment offered by Rep. Sodrel strengthening this bill by placing the burden of proof in any proceeding on the State or agency seeking to take property to show it is not for economic development as defined in the Act.

· Elimination of the “Death Tax”: Rep. Sodrel believes the tax code is unfair to hardworking farmers and prevents family farms from being passed on from generation to generation. For this reason, Rep. Sodrel voted to permanently repeal the estate or “death” tax on April 13, 2005. The bill is now waiting for action in the Senate.

· Renewable Energy: The United States has become too dependent on foreign sources of energy. The recent Energy Policy Act (H.R. 6) signed into law in August 2005 will help to encourage the increased use of renewable energy, such as ethanol and biodiesel, to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and help provide added value to Indiana’s farm commodities. The Energy Policy Act established a renewable fuels standard requiring at 7.5 billion gallons/year of renewable fuels be blended with gasoline by 2012. Rep. Sodrel voted for the final passage of H.R. 6 on July 28, 2005.