Policy & Politics

Climate Bill Might Fail If Not More Farm Friendly

Published Jun. 16, 2009

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Waxman-Markey climate change bill may not pass the House of Representatives unless it becomes more farm-friendly. The warning, sounded by Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), presents a new obstacle to the White House’s effort to get...

U.S. Farmers Rank Low on Global Subsidy Scale

Published Jun. 15, 2009

Research by Texas Tech University’s Economics Research Institute (CERI) shows that all countries, regardless of size, protect their agricultural producers and generally far more than the United States. According to CERI, the U.S. falls near the bottom on the use of tariffs.

Senate Passes Bill Allowing FDA to Regulate Tobacco

Published Jun. 15, 2009

The Senate approved a bill Thursday by a 79-17 vote that gives the Food and Drug Administration sweeping new powers to regulate tobacco products, including such factors as the amount of addictive nicotine in a cigarette and cigarette packaging and marketing. The 79-17 vote virtually ensures...

Court Grants EPA Request on Pesticides Case

Published Jun. 11, 2009

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) request for a two-year stay of its ruling in the National Cotton Council v. Environmental Protection Agency decision issued on January 7, 2009. This “stay of the mandate” makes the original EPA...

Court Delays Pesticide Permitting for Two Years

Published Jun. 10, 2009

On Monday, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals granted EPA's request for a two-year stay in the implementation of its January 2009 pesticide permit ruling. The rule would have required Clean Water Act permits for many pesticide applications.

Ag Committee Key Hurdle to Climate Change Bill

Published Jun. 9, 2009

Talk on Capitol Hill points to the House Agriculture Committee as a key hurdle to the massive climate change bill introduced by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.). The Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on the bill Thursday afternoon, with AFBF President Bob Stallman...

Pelosi: Ag Important to Climate Change Bill

Published Jun. 9, 2009

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says the climate change bill passed last month by the Energy and Commerce Committee will go through more changes before coming up for a vote in the full House and that agriculture will be very important. “The Energy and Commerce Committee was one step and...

OFBF Public Policy Staff Identify Three Upcoming Key Votes for Ohio Lawmakers

Published Jun. 9, 2009

Ohio Farm Bureau staff have identified three upcoming Key Votes for Ohio lawmakers. These include - SCR8 in the Ohio Senate and HCR 15 in the Ohio House regarding a proposed Cow Tax Resolution, SCR 15 a resolution regarding Federal Climate Change legislation, and SB 131 - a bio-based products...

Ag Is Bull's Eye for Energy Tax

Published Jun. 9, 2009

Agriculture is a bull’s-eye industry for a national energy tax because it is energy-intensive, according to commentary published in Agweek by Reps. Frank Lucas, Sam Graves and Doc Hastings, co-chairs of the Rural America Solutions Group. The “cap and trade” provision of the Waxman-Markey climate...

Few Emissions Credits Likely for Ag in Climate Change Bill

Published Jun. 9, 2009

Citing changes in farm practices and energy policy, analysts at the Environmental Protection Agency have sharply lowered estimates of the potential carbon credits for which farmers and landowners would likely qualify, according to the Des Moines Register. This could make it difficult to sell...