Congress Avoids Shutdown, Tees Up Water Infrastructure Funding Before Leaving Town

On September 30, 2016September 30, 2016 By Kyle ClineIn AFBF, Ag Policy, CongressLeave a comment

This past week was a busy one for congress, as members scrambled to complete several key items prior to their scheduled break that will last until after elections. Below is a brief rundown of these provisions and the latest developments of interest to the world of agriculture.

Stop-Gap Funding Bill Passes Congress, Government Shutdown Averted For Now

In recent years, a brief government shutdown or the threat of one has become quite commonplace and expected on an annual basis. However, the fact that it is a key election year means that neither party has much appetite at all to play “hard ball” and be responsible for shutting the government down. In the end, The House passed legislation, 342-85, to avoid a government shutdown which would have occurred on September 30 if no deal was struck. The bill, which was easily passed by the Senate 72-26 earlier on Wednesday and has White House backing, would fund the federal government through Dec. 9, provide $1.1 billion to combat the Zika virus and send $500 million to Louisiana and other states facing natural disasters. One of the reasons that this legislation came down to the end of the wire was that Democrats demanded funding in the spending package for the water infrastructure problems faced by Flint, Michigan as well as other communities. After weeks of stalemate on that issue, a deal was reached by party leadership to address funding for Flint during the lame-duck session when congress returns to Washington, D.C. post-election. That funding will be considered as an amendment in a separate water infrastructure bill that I discuss below.

Waterway Infrastructure Bills Clear House, Senate

Earlier this week, the U.S. House passed a water infrastructure bill by a strong vote of 399-25. The Water Resources Development Act of 2016 companion legislation passed the Senate easily by a margin of 95-3 earlier in the month. The legislation would clear the backlog of port and waterway project authorizations and set in motion 25 projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, seven of which are navigation focused, among other things. Final passage in the House would have occurred earlier but negotiations were ongoing regarding how to handle funding for Flint, Michigan which stalled the process.

While both chambers firmly recognized the need for improved investment in our waterways infrastructure in the U.S., some differences remain between both bills. The House version limits funding and projects to Corps of Engineers projects exclusively, while the Senate bill included provisions dealing with the Clean Water Act, wastewater programs and water safety measures. Overall, however, these latest efforts demonstrate that awareness of our nation’s waterways infrastructure challenges is growing in congress and members are receptive to fixing them. Both chambers are expected to conference their respective bills during the lame-duck session with the hopes of delivering the legislation to the president for signature by the end of the year.

This issue is especially important to Hoosier farmers since so much of our competitiveness on a national and global stage is directly tied to efficiencies in sound infrastructure. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, Over 60 percent of America’s grain exports and many other important commodities such as fuel, coal and agricultural inputs also move through our inland waterway system. Due to this importance, Farm Bureau policy explicitly supports the maintenance and improvement of our transportation infrastructure including the lock and dam system and other vital waterway infrastructure.

Court Strikes Down OSHA Memo Impacting Anhydrous Ammonia Retailers

Late last week the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had violated the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act and the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) when it issued an enforcement memorandum on July 22, 2015, redefining the longstanding retail facility exemption to the Process Safety Management Standard (PSM) for facilities that sell anhydrous ammonia. The decision vacates the memorandum and requires OSHA to go through formal notice and comment rulemaking procedures to make any changes to the PSM regulations as it relates to agricultural retailers. According to the Ag Retailers Association, the timely court decision will save U.S. retailers an estimated $100 million in compliance costs. Process Safety Management applies to any facility storing 10,000 pounds or more of anhydrous ammonia. However, retail agriculture facilities selling more than 50 percent of the fertilizer to farmers have been exempt from PSM. OSHA’s 2015 memo eliminated the exemption.

Packers, Stockyards to See Some Modernization

This week the Senate passed by unanimous consent H.R. 5883, the Clarification of Treatment of Electronic Sales of Livestock Act of 2016. The bill is identical to S. 3350 introduced by Sens. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and John Tester (D-Mont.) which was quickly approved by the upper chamber after House passage.

The White House is expected to sign the bill, which will expand packers and stockyards definitions to include the use of Internet and video auctions and update payment methods to include the use of electronic fund transfers.

USDA Lockup: A Farmer’s Viewpoint

On September 13, 2016 By Kyle ClineIn Ag Policy, Member D.C. TripsLeave a comment

I had the opportunity to once again lead 12 farmers on a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the USDA Lockup and Crop Report. I’m changing things up a little this week by showcasing one of the farmers who participated in the trip. Below is C.J. Fleenor’s guest blog post:

Recently, I was given the opportunity to cross an event off my “Bucket List.” We all have one: that list of random things we would like to accomplish, achieve or experience at some point. Washington, D.C., is truly an amazing city. I have been fortunate to travel there several times over the last few years, but there was still one thing I had not experienced…

The “D.C. Lockup.”

As farmers and people in agriculture, we know of the crop reports released by WASDE and NASS. It has always fascinated me how those reports can make billion-dollar changes in our pocketbooks and the general global economy.

When my regional manager approached me about Farm Bureau sponsoring an annual trip for the lockup, I didn’t think twice when I said “YES!” This was an opportunity to cross a bucket list item off for sure. However, I didn’t realize just how much went into that report. Nor did I realize how little was analyzed for such a monumental monthly document.

The Indiana Farm Bureau delegation, led by Kyle Cline, left on Thursday. Our day started with AFBF and a brief discussion on upcoming hot topics. From there, we travelled to the office of Chuck Conner and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and visited the Canadian Embassy. We discussed U.S. agricultural issues, presidential politics and the importance of the TPP and trade. Our day was capped off with dinner and sightseeing of the beautiful city at night.

Friday, we headed to the USDA. After going through extensive security, we entered the pre-lockup room. There, we deposited any electronics, phones, watches, key fobs, etc., into lockers. Then we heard from NASS employees on how the report is generated. This is where I realized that more than 20,000 points of corn are gathered…equaling up to five acres total of corn. (It’s only one acre of soybeans!) From these sample sites, test weights, kernel quality, yield, etc., are gathered each month.

Then we experience the lock-up.

11 a.m. After passing through an electromagnetic scanner and two sets of locked doors, we hear from statisticians and get a tour. They come in to analyze the data and compile the report just before midnight and can’t leave until the report is released.

11:30 a.m.: We enter the briefing room, where we read the report and speculate on its impact on the markets.

11:45 a.m.: The secretary of agriculture or his designee – in our case, the chief economist – enters the room and the official briefing begins.

Noon: The report is released and the statisticians may leave.

Everything concludes by 12:30 p.m. There were no windows, no doors outside and no communication with the outside world.

I always envisioned this as a general media report; the briefing aspect was interesting. It was a true government briefing, and we were there to witness as the chief economist realized the impact that the decreased expected fall price would have upon ARC and PLC payments, among other supply/demand concerns.

Ultimately, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I would strongly encourage any member to consider attending. The security, the process, the methodology and the presentation were amazing. Not to mention getting to read a copy of the August crop report before anybody else had! I greatly appreciate Kyle and the Indiana Farm Bureau allowing me this opportunity!
C.J. Fleenor, Orange County Farm Bureau President

The Scoop on August Recess

On August 18, 2016 By Kyle ClineIn CongressLeave a comment

Capitol-Reflection

Every August, federal lawmakers return home to meet with constituents and spend time with family during what is commonly known as the congressional “August recess,” also referred to as a congressional work period. These meetings offer citizens and organizations such as the Indiana Farm Bureau an opportunity to meet face-to-face with their senators and representatives and speak about the issues that are on their mind. For example, this year Farm Bureau’s top priority is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Hoosier farmers are also talking about tax and regulatory reform. More information about INFB’s August Recess activities can be found on the website.

You might be wondering why Congress needs a special month-long break or the origin of this tradition. I found myself asking the same questions, so I decided to do a little research to learn more. I will save you all of the details by providing you with the link to the full story. But first, just a few highlights on the history of August Recess for those of you with limited time on your hands.

Congress has adjourned for summer breaks dating all the way back to 1791. Of course, it wasn’t until the 20^th century that federal lawmaking was a full-time position. Until that time, lawmakers worked other jobs as well, including many farmers.
In 1841 congress experienced its first full Washington summer due to an usually large work load. Shortly after the start of the 20^th century, this became normal practice (imagine that for a moment, D.C. in the summertime with no air-conditioning!).
A mandated recess was so important to congress that it passed the Legislative Reorganization Act in 1970, establishing August recess in statute. You might think of it as America’s only required vacation.
The reason for this change had to do with the fact that junior members of congress with young families lobbied more senior members for more predictability in the legislative schedule so they could plan their vacations and ensure valuable time spent with their spouses and children.
The late 1960’s were especially tasking on congressional members given a series of notable activities that demanded their time such as the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “war on poverty” and social reform agenda.
Under the constitution, the Senate and House cannot recess for more than 3 days without the other’s permission.
In addition to meeting with constituents back home, members have the opportunity to spend some well-deserved time off with family as well.

Election Year Activities Heat Up in the Hoosier State

On July 21, 2016 By Kyle ClineIn AFBF, Ag PolicyLeave a comment

Following a successful 306-117 vote last week in the U.S. House on the Farm Bureau-supported GMO labeling bill, Congress adjourned for its annual August Recess. Given this is an election year, lawmakers will have more time at home than normal to allow for their attendance at the national party conventions.

Last week was a big week in politics for Indiana, as Governor Mike Pence was selected as Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, which was formally confirmed this week at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Another big announcement was that former U.S. Senator Evan Bayh was returning to politics to seek the open Senate seat being vacated by Senator Dan Coats, which resulted in Baron Hill’s exit as the Democratic Party candidate. These developments also triggered a series of announcements by others, such as Congressman Todd Rokita and Congresswoman Susan Brooks each declaring their intent to run for the vacated governor’s seat. Their fate will be determined by a 22 person state committee of Republican leaders who will meet next week to decide who the gubernatorial candidate will be.

With the eyes of the nation squarely on election year activities and developments, the American Farm Bureau Federation has developed an Election ‘16 website with resources and information on the upcoming November elections. The website “gives rural voters an informative look at everything from the campaign for president to local issues.” Visitors to the website are able to select their state and receive relevant information. While Indiana Farm Bureau does not make endorsements for president, we encourage members and rural residents to familiarize themselves with each candidate and their respective positions on the issues that impact rural Hoosiers the most. The AFBF website is one resource that can be used in making an informed vote.

Ag Luncheon at Bloomberg

On June 9, 2016 By Kyle ClineIn Conferences3 Comments

This week, farm policy took center stage during my trip to our nation’s capital. At a luncheon hosted by Bloomberg Government, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway discussed the future of the farm bill as well as other critical challenges facing the ag sector. Not surprisingly, these included: agricultural economy and commodity markets, new realities and pressures related to farm incomes, growing regulatory burdens and emerging agriculture technologies.

House Ag Chairman Conaway is currently leading a series of congressional hearings on these emerging pressures on rural America and he is pro-actively working to ensure that these issues remain in front of fellow colleagues on Capitol Hill as well as the general public. Conaway has also been using other opportunities and forums to promote key agricultural issues and is serving as an advocate for the American farmer as seen in a recent Bloomberg opinion piece.

At the luncheon Chairman Conaway also took time to publicly praise the hard work and leadership of Indiana Congresswoman Jackie Walorski. As the Nutrition Sub-Committee Chair, Rep. Walorski has helped lead several of the hearings within the House Ag Committee and focused on important issues such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reform and the connections between farm policy and food prices. Additionally, the issue of poverty and relation to agriculture and food prices has been well documented and discussed among congressional leaders as of late and was another point of emphasis by Chairman Conaway. He highlighted a new report called “A Better Way”, which was spearheaded by House Speaker Paul Ryan, Chairman Conaway and other Republican leaders.

In addition to recent hearings and activities, chairmen Roberts and Conaway also discussed a number of specific policy issues including the future of the farm bill. Both agreed that before any potential changes are made to the next farm bill, congressional leaders should agree to establish rigorous policy standards to determine impacts on food prices and availability. As Chairman Conaway explained, any policy found to potentially increase food cost needs to have clear goals and justifiable, widespread benefits.

Another area of agreement and emphasis by chairmen Roberts and Conaway was crop insurance and the important role that it should continue to play in the next farm bill. Despite repeated attempts to reduce crop insurance support by a handful of lawmakers as well as President Obama in recent times, the agriculture community has been successful at thwarting these counterproductive efforts. However, these battles are not finished and it should be expected that they will continue and only increase as we get closer to the development of the next farm bill. They also noted that the next farm bill needs to continue an overall safety net that is robust and includes support for both crop insurance as well as commodity programs because agriculture is very diverse across our country and different farmers have different needs.

In closing, the chairmen noted that the next farm bill will likely be written during a very difficult farm economy scenario while at the same time undergoing increasing baseline and budgetary scrutiny, creating a lot of pressures. In addition to risk management tools and safety net discussions about crop insurance and commodity programs, the growing issue of credit availability for farmers is another important consideration in the overall picture. While discussions are increasing about what the next farm bill should be, the verdict is still very much out about how the current farm bill is serving farmers and rural communities. Any attempts to change the farm bill should first and foremost be market oriented and consider food affordability and availability.

Moving forward, the ag committees will continue congressional hearings and activities to highlight key agricultural issues that impact farm policy. They also plan to host listening sessions with key interests groups and farmers across the U.S. beginning at the end of the year. Indiana Farm Bureau will follow these developments closely and communicate about opportunities as they become available.

(View from my hotel on New Jersey St.)

A Day (or Three) in the Life of a Lobbyist

On April 30, 2016May 2, 2016 By Kyle ClineIn LobbyingLeave a comment

Welcome back to Hoosier on the Hill!

In this post, I highlight my recent trip to Washington, D.C., which took place earlier this week. While it is difficult to pinpoint a typical day as a lobbyist, this trip provides a pretty good flavor for some typical activities on the job.

Day 1
Tuesday was primarily focused on issue education, research and relationship building. After landing at the airport and taking the metro directly to the hotel, I checked in, dropped off my bag and headed off to my first meeting at the U.S. Grains Council (USGC).
A little bit of history for you, the USGC was founded in 1960 as a private, non-profit corporation with 10 international offices and programs in more than 50 countries. Its membership includes producer organizations and agribusinesses with a common interest in developing export markets primarily for U.S. barley, corn, grain sorghum and related products, including ethanol and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The mission of the USGC is to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives.

The focus of my meeting at the USGC was on international trade, a high priority issue for Indiana Farm Bureau and our 72,000 farmer members. The USGC is a partner with Farm Bureau in the Trade Benefits America and U.S. Coalition for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a broad-based and cross-sectoral coalition of U.S. companies and organizations urging Congress to pass TPP. I had the opportunity to meet with USGC’s Director of Trade Policy to discuss the latest trade-related updates and other upcoming activities of mutual interest. Trade will continue to be a priority issue over the course of the year for Farm Bureau. In fact, May is World Trade Month, and my next blog post will cover some of the activities and resources available to INFB members to promote this important issue.

After the meeting at USGC, I headed outside to order an Uber and fought D.C. traffic to get to my next meeting in the Georgetown area. I quickly shifted my attention from trade and TPP to livestock issues. This meeting consisted of a discussion related to the latest major announcements by large food manufacturers and retail companies regarding animal welfare requirements, namely cage-free eggs. We also touched on the proposed rule from the USDA related to animal welfare requirements for organic livestock producers. Farm Bureau continues to evaluate the proposed rule for impacts, but has already requested an extension to the comment period to ensure the USDA receives adequate feedback from the producers as well as the general public.

Day 2
Before my busy day of meetings on Capitol Hill, I had a chance to meet up with a friend and colleague from the Michigan Farm Bureau, John Kran, for breakfast at Pete’s Diner. Pete’s is one of John Boehner’s favorite breakfast spots and word has it, a favorite of other members of congress. So we thought we’d give it a try. While very small and unassuming, Pete’s provides basic but tasty comfort food for a good price. I recommend the omelets which come standard with a side of French fries. It’s always great to get together with our friends from other state Farm Bureaus and hear the latest issues impacting their members.

A day on Capitol Hill is always very fast-paced and requires close attention to the schedule, time and the issues that we want our members of congress to hear about. I visited with each office in the Indiana congressional delegation on several issues including biotechnology labeling, trade, rail infrastructure and the Affordable Care Act.

After being on the job for nearly three years (boy does time fly!), I listened to my wife and slowed down between meetings to snap a few pictures of my surroundings, which I know I’m guilty of taking for granted from time to time.

Day 3
On Thursday, I attended a training session at AFBF on the topic of grassroots engagement. The AFBF public policy staff probably described the primary job functions of a lobbyist best:

Education (of others as well as yourself)
Sales
Research
Public relations and communications
Networking and relationship building and management

As I reviewed the list, I realized that I touched on all five functions during the course of my trip. The training also included best practices for member advocacy and engagement, the do’s and don’ts from the congressional staff perspective, Capitol Hill visits, a simulation of what it is like to be a member of Congress and how to tell effective stories (guidelines taken directly from the Disney model).

After a full day of training, I grabbed my suitcase and descended down the long escalator to the metro to go back to the airport. Upon reaching my departure gate, I met up with Senator Joe Donnelly and had a chance to briefly catch up before boarding the plane. After a smooth flight to Indy and another hour and 15 minute drive, I finally arrived home around 10:00 p.m. where I was met at the doorstep by my three favorite people, anxiously waiting to hear all about my trip and discover what goodies I brought home in my suitcase. Just another day in my life as a lobbyist.

Grassroots Advocacy in Action

On April 7, 2016April 16, 2016 By Kyle ClineIn Member D.C. Trips1 Comment

Welcome!

I am Kyle Cline, your Hoosier on the Hill. I’m excited to get this blog going and share my passion for public policy, government and all things agriculture. I will be your host as we examine the issues and stories coming out of Washington, D.C. that impact American farmers and their rural communities. In this first post, I highlight the annual Indiana Farm Bureau Leader Trip to Washington, D.C.

2-DC trip-DSC_7087-JAW

Each year, Indiana Farm Bureau members descend on Capitol Hill for the annual Leader Trip to Washington, D.C. This trip is a prime opportunity for INFB members to participate in leadership development, issue education and to engage in some good old fashioned grassroots advocacy, including visits with their federal elected officials. This year, the Leader Trip took place March 22-24 and included participation from 56 members.

The agenda may change from year to year, but the Leader Trip always includes plenty of opportunities for education on Farm Bureau’s national priority issues. On day 1, our members arrived bright and early in Washington, D.C. and were greeted by the colorful cherry blossoms which were on full display the entire week. Our first stop was a visit to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Members learned about the latest legislative and regulatory updates on some of the most pressing agricultural issues including biotechnology and GMO labeling, regulatory reform, trade and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), farm policy and tax reform. After hearing from INFB staff on advocacy “best practices” and planning their congressional visits for the next day, the Leader Trip participants set off on foot for the USDA, where the group heard from Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse, Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations Todd Batta, and Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini. The discussions during this segment included international trade and TPP, farm policy, conservation and many other current issues. Following the briefings, Leader Trip participants had an unexpected opportunity to tour USDA Secretary Vilsack’s office, which was possible because the secretary happened to be visiting Cuba with the president and other leaders.

Day 2 of the Leader Trip was the official Capitol Hill Day. Farm Bureau members took their new knowledge as well as their own unique perspectives and stories from their farms and communities and delivered a grassroots message to Congress about the importance of agriculture. Members were organized in groups by congressional districts and had the opportunity to meet with their congressman/congresswoman to ask them for their support on Farm Bureau’s priority issues and legislation.

Representatives Luke Messer and Susan Brooks even took a few minutes away from their busy schedules to talk to us about the importance of constituent involvement in the legislative process and how office visits in D.C. are helpful to their work. Their message re-confirms the positive difference that Farm Bureau and its members are making everyday.

In the afternoon, our group visited the Senate Agriculture Committee and heard from Chief Economist Matt Erickson and Chief Counsel Anne Hazlett, both Hoosiers making a big difference on Capitol Hill for agriculture. Last but not least, the group met up with the Iowa Farm Bureau in the afternoon for a session on renewable fuels and the future of farm policy. Iowa Farm Bureau members were in town for their own version of the Leader Trip.

On Day 3, our members grabbed their passports and went global by paying a visit to the Embassy of Japan. As an important trading partner and key nation in the proposed TPP, a visit with Japan made perfect sense. Much of the discussion with Japanese officials focused on TPP and the importance of ensuring passage by Congress before the end of the year. Japan plans to consider TPP for a vote in their parliament likely sometime in early summer. The discussion was a good reminder to our members about how important international trade is to their bottom lines and profitability on the farm. In a time when farm incomes have dropped 56% since 2013, more trade and market access for our products will be needed to get out of the hard times. In Indiana alone, AFBF estimates an increase in cash receipts by $196 million and net exports by $98.3 million annually. The largest gains will be in the soybean, corn, pork and beef sectors.

Overall, the 2016 Leader Trip was a success. It is inspiring to me and the rest of the INFB staff to see current and future Farm Bureau leaders taking ownership of their destiny as they become effective advocates for agriculture. It is empowering to see the effects of grassroots advocacy in action and the difference Farm Bureau makes when a few of us come together around a common cause.

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