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.