By Frank Giles On Dec. 22, the U.S. Senate passed the omnibus appropriations bill. The $1.7 trillion measure would fund the federal government through the remainder of 2023. The measure now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote to avoid a government shutdown on the evening of Dec. 23. Much to the dismay of farm groups nationwide, …
GFVGA Supports Senate Bill
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) supports the bill introduced in the Senate last week, titled the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA). The organization is also calling for members to contact Georgia’s two U.S. Senators this week to express support for the bill. Senator Michael Bennett (D-CO) introduced the Senate version of …
Alabama Extension Economist Skeptical About Senate Bill’s Passage
By Clint Thompson Specialty crop interest groups were encouraged by the introduction of the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA) last week. The Senate bill would freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) at the 2022 rates for one year and cap future increases by 3%, something that the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and Florida Fruit …
FFVA Supports Proposed Senate Bill
The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) supports the bill introduced in the Senate on Thursday, titled the Affordable and Secure Food Act of 2022 (ASFA). The bill is similar to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that was passed in the House in 2021. It would create a path to legal status for undocumented farmworkers and freeze the Adverse Effect …
AFBF Establishes 2023 Farm Bill Priorities
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released its priorities for the 2023 farm bill. The priorities were identified by a working group of Farm Bureau members and staff from across the country. AFBF’s overarching priorities include: Continuing current farm bill program funding; Maintaining a unified farm bill that includes nutrition programs and farm programs together; Prioritizing risk management tools …
Thompson, Comer Lead Letter to GAO Regarding Foreign Investments in U.S. Farmland
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican Leader of the House Committee on Agriculture, Glenn “GT” Thompson, and Republican Leader of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, James Comer, were joined by 128 of their Conference colleagues sent a letter last weekend to comptroller general Gene Dodaro of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The letter requests a study regarding foreign investment in U.S. farmland …
Legislative Visits Valuable for GFVGA
By Clint Thompson Legislative visits can serve as a valuable message from agricultural organizations to their representatives in Washington D.C. For the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), its message to Senator Jon Ossoff earlier this month emphasized the need for legislative help pertaining to various challenges that farmers like Aries Haygood and Bill Brim face in Georgia. “In …
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Issues Statement of Principles Ahead of 2023 Farm Bill
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing producers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, released its statement of principles for consideration of the 2023 Farm Bill. The SCFBA is led by co-chairs Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave …
Bill to Prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from Purchasing American Land
Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) introduced the Securing America’s Land from Foreign Interference Act earlier this month to prohibit members of the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing any land in the United States. Text of the bill may be found here. “Chinese investments in American farmland put our food security at risk and provide opportunities for …
Farm Workforce Modernization Act a ‘Long Shot’
By Clint Thompson The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is in its final stage of being edited and potentially passed in the Senate. Whether it is approved by the end of this year remains a “long shot,” says Bob Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, D.C. He spoke about the …