Agriculture

As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture and the Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit, I'm proud and humbled to be able to shape agriculture policy for Minnesota's 8th District - bringing stability and security to our small towns and rural communities. Since coming to Congress in January 2013, I've been privileged to have worked hard to pass crucial dairy reforms to prevent skyrocketing milk costs, extend conservation programs, and promote organic farming and Beginning Farmer & Rancher programs.

Farm Bill amendments I sponsored:

• Promote Forest Products Research: I introduced an amendment to promote the benefits of wood as an environmentally-friendly building material - this amendment was adopted into the final bill and passed into law by President Obama. Following this, the USDA announced a new partnership to train architects, engineers and builders about the benefits of advanced wood building materials, and plans for a forthcoming prize competition to design and build high-rise wood demonstration projects. Read USDA's press release here.
   
• Increase the Conservation Stewardship Program: Minnesota has more conservation stewardship contracts than any other state - with Morrison County, in our 8th District, leading the way. Two of my amendments to the Farm Bill supported this popular program, the first to increase the maximum enrollment, and the second to streamline and simplify the application process. 
   
• Repeal a Duplicative Catfish Inspection Program: I cosponsored a bipartisan amendment that would have repealed a wasteful and duplicative catfish inspection program, set to cost taxpayers $170 million dollars over the next 10 years, and give fish & seafood processors like Morey's and Trident in Motley with expensive and unnecessary regulations. Despite fierce debate and bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, the amendment did not make it into the final bill signed into law by the President.
   
• Support Farm-to-Market/Healthy Foods: An amendment I sponsored helps fresh food retailers serve their products to underserved communities, by authorizing funds for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), a public-private partnership that provides critical loan and grants to these retailers. In 2011, the Duluth Farmers Market received an $86,869 grant to purchase a "kitchen on wheels" that demonstrated how to prepare healthy foods.
   
• Restore Supplemental Nutrition Funds (SNAP): The House Agriculture Committee considered but voted down my amendment that would have restored funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The FARRM Act proposed $20.5 billion in cuts to SNAP, which is more than $4 billion above what was cut in the committee-passed bill in 2012, and $16 billion more than what was included in the Senate-passed farm bill. About 1 in 10 Minnesota residents receives SNAP benefits, the majority being families with children, and a large percentage being families with elderly or disabled members. 
   
• Clarify Imported Seeds Inspection Rules: I sponsored an amendment to clarify the manner in which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires inspection of seed imports treated with pesticides. 

Legislation I'm currently working on:

• Saving America's Pollinators Act (H.R.2692) - The honeybee and other pollinators are vital to keeping our agricultural community strong.  This bill would direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend the use of specific chemicals believed to be directly linked to pollinator population problems, and instruct the Department of the Interior (DOI) to regularly monitor and evaluate the health and population status of native bees.
   
• Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (H.R.1727) - This bipartisan bill helps the next generation of farmers and ranchers take advantage of opportunities in agriculture by enabling new producers to access land, credit, and technical assistance, assisting new producers in launching "value-added" products such as farmstead cheese or grass-fed beef, encourages retiring farmers to sell or rent their farmland to beginning farmers, and provides training, mentoring, and research to farmers and ranchers just starting out.
   
• Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act (H.R.1414) - Cosponsored by Minnesota Reps. Ellison, McCollum, and Walz, this bill promotes local and regional farm and food systems by updating and expanding programs in SNAP, organics production, and school nutrition. Specifically, it would create a five-state pilot program to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables for schools, and increase funding for community food projects and educational programs on agriculture, nutrition, and healthy eating.