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Last month, Ohio Congressman John Boehner was elected House majority leader, the second highest position in the U.S. House of Representatives. It’s expected that his growing influence in Congress will be good for Ohio farmers.

"John Boehner has been a steady supporter of Ohio agriculture, and someone we’ve come to rely on," said Adam Sharp, OFBF’s director of national affairs. Sharp noted that Boehner has received the Friend of Farm Bureau award on numerous occasions, an award presented in recognition of lawmakers with voting records that have reflected Farm Bureau positions.

Boehner, in his eighth term, represents the eighth congressional district in western Ohio. Since first being elected to Congress in 1990, he has served on the House Agriculture Committee and is currently its vice chairman.

Sharp said Farm Bureau agrees with Boehner’s views on several important ag issues. "He’s a big supporter of free trade, particularly for agriculture, and has always favored opening markets for Ohio products around the globe. Also, reducing regulatory and tax burdens on farmers is another issue he’s been constantly active on."

One special opportunity Boehner has afforded Farm Bureau leaders is his hosting of county presidents for a special farm policy forum each year during the presidents’ trip to Washington D.C. During these sessions, Boehner and colleagues from the House Ag Committee speak with and answer questions from the county presidents on a wide range of issues. The forum is unique and is rated as one of the more interesting parts of the presidents’ annual lobbying event. Boehner also hosts an annual farm policy forum in his home district. (Coverage of the 2006 Washington and Ohio events will be in the next issue of Buckeye Farm News.)

One topic often discussed between Boehner and Farm Bureau is farm program spending.

"He was a big supporter of the Freedom to Farm legislation in the mid-90s as a way to hold down farm spending," Sharp said. "He’s very up-front and honest about that. When it comes to spending – across the board – he wants to be fiscally responsible."

Given Farm Bureau’s opposition to reduced farm bill spending in fiscal '07 (see story this page), will that be a contentious point as Farm Bureau works with the new majority leader in the coming year? "We know he’s a big supporter of Ohio agriculture; we’ll probably be talking quite a bit with him about what the actual numbers should look like," Sharp said.