Protecting Virginia Farmers

Congressman Forbes supported the House-passed version of H.R.2112 to ensure that key agriculture, nutrition, and food safety programs are adequately funded in the coming year. This bill cut $2.7 billion in discretionary spending from the current funding level and $5 billion from the President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2012. These cuts were spread out to promote program efficiency and maintain key programs, ensuring that the brunt of spending cuts is not disproportionately placed on the shoulders of our nation’s farmers and ranchers. Read more.

Working on Behalf of Virginia's Farmers Read about Congressman Forbes' work to protect farmers through less regulation and more supportive trade agreements.More...

Opposing the Estate Tax Congressman Forbes has cosponsored a bill to repeal the estate tax that makes it harder to pass on the fruits of our life's work to the next generation. More...

Friend of the Farm Bureau Congressman Forbes has been awarded the "Friend of the Farm Bureau" award from the American Farm Bureau Federation. More...

Supported efforts to stop new unnecessary regulations on our farmers. Congressman Forbes supported the Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act (FUELS Act), H.R. 3158, directing the Environmental Protection Agency to change its implementation standards for new oil tank spill regulations that could otherwise cost farmers and ranchers tens of thousands of dollars in new compliance costs. The bill will still allow a farm with over 10,000 gallons of oil stored in a single tank, and certification by a professional engineer will still be required. However, if a farm has no history of spills and is storing less oil or gasoline, they will not be required to meet these costly new standards. This bill passed by voice vote.

Urged relief for American consumers and ranchers. Congressman Forbes joined over 130 of his colleagues in sending a letter to the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency urging that the Renewable Fuel Standard ethanol mandate be adjusted for this year after record-breaking droughts have devastated the nation’s corn crop. This waiver will help reduce the rise in the cost of corn that will have far reaching consequences for American consumers and businesses. Without an adjustment to the Renewable Fuel Standard a significant portion of the corn that survives this drought will be used to make ethanol, exacerbating rising food costs for American families.

Supported assistance for agriculture community. Congressman Forbes supported the Agriculture Disaster Assistance Act, H.R. 6233, to ensure that farmers and ranchers devastated by record-breaking drought have access to critical disaster assistance programs. H.R. 6233 reauthorizes programs that would otherwise not be available to Virginia’s farmers and ranchers, and seeks to stabilize prices for American consumers and protect thousands of American agricultural jobs. This bill passed by a vote of 223-197.

Protected family farms from unnecessary government intrusion. Congressman Forbes supported passage of the Preserving America’s Family Farms Act, H.R. 4157, to prevent the Department of Labor from implementing new regulations that would ban our nation’s young people under the age of 16 from assisting in a range of agriculture practices including work with tractors, battery operated tools and pressure hoses. Whether young people are working on family farms or taking summer jobs, Congressman Forbes does not believe that it is the role of the federal government to micromanage our nation’s youth as they learn the importance of a day’s work and are introduced to our nation’s rich agricultural heritage. This bill passed by voice vote.

Supported lending to farmers and small businesses. Congressman Forbes supported the Small Business Credit Availability Act, H.R.3336, to exclude farm credit institutions regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission from being classified as swap dealers under the The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This bill passed by a vote of 312-111.

Opposed costly new federal regulations on our nation’s farmers.  Congressman Forbes joined over 80 Members of the House of Representatives in sending a letter to Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in opposition to the Department of Labor’s proposal to ban our nation’s young people under the age of 16 from assisting in a range of common agricultural practices, including the vaccination of livestock or the use of any power driven machines to do agriculture work, which include tractors, pressure hoses, and battery operated tools.  Whether our young people are working on family farms or taking summer jobs, Congressman Forbes does not believe that it is the role of the federal government to micromanage our nation’s youth as they learn the importance of a day’s work and are introduced to our nation’s rich agricultural heritage.  Congressman Forbes informed the Department of Labor that he opposes this overly burdensome new regulation that punishes an industry that has made significant gains in the safety of its younger workers over the last several decades.  A copy of the letter is available here.

Worked to stop the EPA from burdening Virginia farmers with unnecessary regulations. Congressman Forbes supported H.R. 1633, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act to ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency does not impose unnecessary and costly regulations on Virginia's agricultural community.  Without this legislation, the EPA could set new standards for the amount of dust, or “particulate matter,” that a farm is allowed to produce during its daily operations.  Congressman Forbes, a cosponsor of H.R. 1633, supported the bill’s final passage to oppose a new regulatory regime that would raise farmers' costs and stifle their growth. 
This bill passed the House by a vote of 268-150.

Protecting Virginia’s Farmers from discriminatory trade policies.  Congressman Forbes joined several members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation in urging U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk not to exclude tobacco and tobacco products from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.  Tobacco is the fifth largest exported agricultural product from Virginia, and the Commonwealth is the fourth largest tobacco exporter in the country.  Congressman Forbes remains dedicated to supporting Virginia’s farmers who provide important jobs throughout the Commonwealth.  A copy of the letter is available here.

Cutting Inefficient Waste and Protecting American Farmers.  Congressman Forbes supported H.R.2112, the Agriculture Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2012, to ensure that key agriculture, nutrition, and food safety programs are adequately funded in the coming year.  This bill was also fiscally responsible and cut $2.7 billion in discretionary spending from the current funding level and $5 billion from the President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2012.  These cuts were spread out to promote program efficiency and maintain key programs, ensuring that the brunt of spending cuts is not disproportionately placed on the shoulders of our nation’s farmers and ranchers.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 217-203.

Voted to protect horses from disease and slaughter.  Congressman Forbes voted for H.R. 2112, which prohibited the slaughter of horses for the purpose of human consumption.  The bill ensures that no federal funds can be used for Department of Agriculture inspections of horse processing facilities.  Without these inspections, horse processing facilities are illegal, effectively banning the needless slaughter of horses.  Additionally, H.R.2112 specifically directs the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to apply resources toward enforcement of the Horse Protection Act.

Protected farmers and ranchers from government overreach.  Congressman Forbes joined his colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack urging him to reconsider a proposed guideline shift for the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.  The proposed rule would impose a number of policies and restrictions on the meat packing industry that go far beyond the intent of Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill.  When this proposed rule was released to the public, over 60,000 comments were received by the Department of Agriculture.  In this economic climate, it is imperative that the government not be permitted to place improper and overbearing regulations on businesses.

Overturned Burdensome Regulation Hurting Farmers.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored and supported legislation, H.R.872, to overturn burdensome regulation and duplication imposed by a court mandate and the EPA on American small businesses and farmers. Based on a court ruling, the EPA and five delegated states are required to establish permit programs under the Federal Clean Water Act for aquatic pesticide applications. This activity is already regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and obtaining a duplicative permit would affect approximately 365,000 users. Recently, a court had to extend the deadline for obtaining a permit because doing so has proven a logistical impossibility for many farmers. This bill overturns that duplicative requirement.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 292-130.

Supported prohibition of animal crush videos. Congressman Forbes voted to support the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010 (H.R.5566).  The legislation prohibits and penalizes the creation and distribution of animal crush videos.  This bill passed the House by a voice vote.

Protecting Peanut Farming in the Fourth District.  Congressman Forbes joined several of his colleagues in the House in sending a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT) in opposition to a proposed DOT rulemaking that would ban peanuts and peanut products from commercial airlines.

Recognized the important role of the dairy industry in economic and nutritional well-being.  Congressman Forbes supported a resolution in the House to support the goals of National Dairy Month, which has been celebrated every June since 1939.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 359-0.

Protected agricultural producers and their creditors from litigation, bankruptcy and foreclosure.  Congressman Forbes supported H.R.3509 to increase access to the State Agricultural Mediation Program, which helps agricultural producers and their creditors resolve disputes confidentially and in a non-adversarial setting.

Met with agricultural leaders in the Fourth Congressional District. Congressman Forbes meets annually with his Farmers Advisory Board to discuss local agriculture issues and legislation.

Supported the goals of the dairy industry. Congressman Forbes voted for H.Res. 507 to recognize the goals of National Dairy Month and the dairy industry's important role in the economic and nutritional well being of Americans. The legislation commends dairy farmers for their hard work and commitment to the U.S. economy and to the preservation of open space. This bill passed the House by a vote of 428-0.  

Inquired about the amount of peanut butter purchased for federal nutrition programs. Peanut butter is a cost efficient product rich in nutrition. Congressman Forbes wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Vilsack asking him to review the amount of peanut butter the USDA purchases for federal nutrition programs.  

Discussed agriculture issues with the Virginia Agribusiness Council. During a meeting with the Virginia Agribusiness Council, a non-profit member organization that represents the agriculture and forest industries in the Commonwealth, Congressman Forbes discussed issues regarding environmental stewardship, climate change, the agricultural work force, and tax reform. 

Met with farmers in the 4th Congressional District at the Annual Farm Credit Legislative Luncheon. The Farm Credit System provides loans to farmers for buildings farm machinery, livestock, and other farming needs. Last year, $1.8 million was repaid to farmers in the Fourth Congressional District through the System.

Cosponsored H.R. 450, the Enumerated Powers Act, which would require each bill passed by Congress to contain a clear statement of constitutional authority for the provisions in the legislation or the bill would be subject to an objection during consideration in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

Supported H.R. 6849, to amend the commodity provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to permit producers to aggregate base acres and reconstitute farms to avoid the prohibition on receiving direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, or average crop revenue election payments when the sum of the base acres of a farm is 10 acres or less. This bill would strike a provision from the newly enacted farm bill that says farmers must hold at least 10 base acres to qualify for federal payments. The language in question was intended to prevent payments from going to non-producers who reside on small plots of land, but the USDA has said the law essentially bars payments to most actual commercial farmers who aggregate scattered plots of land to meet the threshold. 

Supported S. 3597, to provide that funds allocated for community food projects for fiscal year 2008 shall remain available until September 30, 2009. This bill ensures that food banks and other community food projects will receive needed funding through the next fiscal year.

Voted to override the President’s Veto of H.R. 6124, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the Farm Bill).  After this bill was passed by both the House and Senate, a clerical error caused an incomplete version of the bill to be sent to the President’s desk by mistake.  The President vetoed the bill and the House voted to override the veto before the error was realized.  After the error came to light, the House and Senate subsequently passed the bill again, and the complete bill was again sent to the President.  President Bush again vetoed the bill, and Congressman Forbes again joined a majority of the House in voting to override his veto of this important legislation  Once the Senate overrides the veto, this bill will take effect and much-needed resources will begin going to America’s farming community.

Voted to override the President’s veto of the Farm Bill, H.R. 2419.  The long-awaited final agreement between the House and Senate farm bills provides a total of $289 billion over five years for national farm and nutrition programs.  The measure also bars those with more than $750,000 in farm-related income, or more than $500,000 in non-farm-related income, from receiving federal farm subsidies.  The bill also includes a Chesapeake Bay program that establishes and funds a new program for implementing conservation measures on agricultural lands in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  To read Congressman Forbes’ statement on House passage of the final Farm Bill, click here.

Voted to approve the final conference report for the Farm Bill, H.R. 2419.  The long-awaited final agreement between the House and Senate Farm Bills provides a total of $289 billion over five years for national farm and nutrition programs.  The measure also bars those with more than $750,000 in farm-related income, or more than $500,000 in non-farm-related income, from receiving federal farm subsidies.  The bill also includes a Chesapeake Bay Program that establishes and funds a new program for implementing conservation measures on agricultural lands in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  The House approved the conference report by a vote of 318-106, and the Senate passed it soon after by a vote of 81-15, sending it to the White House where it now awaits the President’s signature.  To read Congressman Forbes’ statement on passage of the final Farm Bill, click here.

Opposed several motions that would have further delayed negotiations on the Farm Bill, H.R. 2419.  Negotiations on this complex piece of legislation have been ongoing for over a year, but conferees announced this week that they are on the verge of reaching a final compromise.  These motions would have directed the conferees, who are negotiating final details on a five-year Farm Bill, to change several key provisions just before a final agreement is reached between the House and Senate versions of the bill.  Rep. Forbes opposed these motions that were offered by opponents of the Farm Bill in order to prevent further delays on this legislation.

Supported H.R. 5578, a temporary extension of the Farm Bill, which would extend agricultural programs until Congress finishes negotiations on a new Farm Bill. The new bill would include fiscally responsible policies that benefit farmers across the country.  The House and Senate both passed updated Farm Bills last year, and the two chambers are now in conference negotiations on the final bill.  Rep. Forbes has cosponsored a bill (H.R. 4193) that would extend the Farm Bill through July 31, 2009, and provide farmers some certainty when they begin their planning for the next farm year.   

Spoke at a reception hosted by the Virginia Peanut Growers Association.  Rep. Forbes discussed the many challenges facing farmers in the Fourth District, their families and their businesses such as immigration, rising gas prices, the drought and the upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill.  To read more about what Rep. Forbes is doing to support Virginia’s Farmers, click here.

Signed a letter to House Conferees on the Department of Agriculture Reauthorization Bill, informally known as the “Farm Bill,” in support of tax incentives for conservation easements.  The provisions were included in the Senate-passed version of the Farm Bill.  Conservation “easements” allow private landowners to retain ownership, control and management of their property, while ensuring that important resources on those lands will be conserved for the future.  The proposed tax incentive allowed landowners to deduct up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI), and to carry forward the unused amount for 15 years.  For many landowners, this would provide an alternative to selling their land for commercial development. 

Cosponsored H.R. 4193, a one year extension to the Farm Bill, a multi-year piece of legislation that evaluates federal farm support, food assistance, agricultural trade, marketing, and rural development policies. The Farm Bill will expire on July 31, 2008 and this bill would move the expiration date to July 31, 2009. This would provide farmers some certainty when they begin their planning for the next farm year. The House passed the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) on July 27, 2007. The Senate only recently passed their version of a Farm Bill on December 14, 2007.

Joined House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte (VA-06) in cosponsoring H.R. 4193, a one year extension of the Farm Bill. H.R. 4193 would extend the expiration of the 2002 Farm Bill from July 31, 2008 to July 31, 2009.

Cosponsored H. Res. 578, which would recognize July as National Watermelon Month. In 2001, 1,600 acres of watermelons were planted and 1,400 acres were harvested in Virginia. The largest amount of watermelon acreage, slightly less than 1,000 acres in 2002, is located in Southampton County.

Sent a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture asking him to declare six counties in the Fourth Congressional District eligible for disaster assistance due to the ongoing drought conditions. The current drought situation has left many farmers and communities devastated in Virginia and elsewhere across the United States.

Voted in favor of H.R. 2419, the Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007, a multi-year piece of legislation that evaluates federal farm support, food assistance, agricultural trade, marketing, and rural development policies.

Joined with other House colleagues who represent cotton producing districts in sending a letter regarding the upcoming Farm Bill. The letter encouraged Members of Congress to support America's farmers and extend the 2002 Farm Bill commodity programs in the upcoming 2007 Farm Bill. Such programs serve as a crucial safety net for America's farmers and allows farmers to provide our country with a safe and secure food supply.

Sent a letter to the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee opposing proposed government payment changes to the upcoming farm bill, which would hurt Virginia peanut farmers. As stated in the letter, it is important to Virginia peanut farmers that the Committee maintain the loan rate, base payment percentage, and direct payments. On June 6th, the subcommittee held a hearing in which they reviewed these changes to the peanut program. The full Agriculture Committee will again consider these provisions in the next few weeks when drafting the final version of the farm bill.

Joined the Rural Health Care Coalition (RHCC). The RHCC is a group of bi-partisan Members of Congress who are committed to advancing rural priorities in health care policy. The RHCC has been successful in establishing the Office of Rural Health Policy within the Department of Health and Human Services, creating the Rural Health Transition Grant Program, and forming the Critical Access Hospital program.

Sent a letter to the House Agriculture Committee to request that initiatives providing agribusinesses and homebuyers with greater access to financing be included in the 2007 Farm Bill. 

As stated in the letter, it is important to Virginia peanut farmers that the Committee maintain the loan rate, base payment percentage, and direct payments. On June 6th, the subcommittee held a hearing in which they reviewed these changes to the peanut program. The full Agriculture Committee will again consider these provisions in the next few weeks when drafting the final version of the farm bill. (RHCC). The RHCC is a group of bi-partisan Members of Congress who are committed to advancing rural priorities in health care policy. The RHCC has been successful in establishing the Office of Rural Health Policy within the Department of Health and Human Services, creating the Rural Health Transition Grant Program, and forming the Critical Access Hospital program.