| Lawmakers Introduce Agricultural LegislationLast week, a bipartisan group of senators reintroduced legislation to double funding for the USDA Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program. This bill was first introduced in 2017 as the Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports (CREAATE) Act as part of discussions for the previous farm bill. This session the bill was introduced by Sens. Angus King (I-ME), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) as Congress prepares for the farm bill next year. More information on the bill can be found here. In addition, Sens. Grassley and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the Farm Credit for Americans Act, which amend the Farm Credit Act to prohibit farm credit lenders from lending to foreign nationals. More information on the bill can be found here. Lawmakers in Congress have also recently turned attention toward foreign influence in the American agricultural industry. A variety of other proposals were sent to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an interagency body assessing the impacts of foreign investment on national security. Earlier this month, President Biden signed an executive order calling on the CFIUS to consider the impacts on the agricultural industry in its reviews and recommendations. Numerous bills have recently been introduced to permanently add Secretary Vilsack as a member of the CFIUS. These include the Agricultural Security Risk Review Act and the Food Security is National Security Act. Other proposals would put greater emphasis on the role of agriculture in national security, including the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security Act and the Foreign Adversary Risk Management Act. Senate Considers Agricultural NominationsOn Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee approved the nominations for three key agricultural positions. The nominations for Alexis Taylor, nominee to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at USDA, Vincent Logan, nominee to be a member of the Farm Credit Administration Board, and Dr. Jose Esteban, nominee to be Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA, will now go to the full Senate for consideration. Following recent bipartisan calls to move swiftly on the nomination of Doug McKalip, the nominee for Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has blocked the progression of the full Senate vote. Sen. Menendez cited broader concerns about oversight and transparency within the USTR as his rationale for holding up movement on the vote. Earlier this month, Sen. Menendez joined the rest of the Senate Finance Committee in unanimously approving the McKalip’s nomination. USDA Announces Investment in Fertilizer ProductionEarlier this week, Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA was making $500 million in grants to increase American fertilizer production. The Fertilizer Production Expansion Program aims to address the input cost hikes farmers have seen due to the war in Ukraine. The program will prioritize innovative and sustainable fertilizer production. USDA Commission Recommends Changes to FSA County CommitteesA USDA Equity Commission recommended a study on the effects of potentially terminating the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) county committees, noting equity concerns for minority farmers. Members of the Committee said historically county committees have hindered equality while emphasizing the role the county committees have in shaping the culture of local FSA offices. In addition, the Commission also recommended USDA create a program to ensure county committee minority advisers have direct access to the FSA Administrator. State Department Announces Resumption of Cuban Visa ProcessingThis week, the Department of State announced it will fully resume immigrant visa processing at the American embassy in Cuba in early 2023. Earlier this year, the Biden Administration expanded visa processing operations in Havana but, under current policy, Cubans with U.S.-based relatives must travel to Guyana for visa interviews. The Administration is hopeful these steps will promote safe and timely migration from Cuba. White House Holds Conference on HungerOn Wednesday, the White House held the Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Ahead of the conference, the White House released its national strategy outlining the Biden Administration’s priorities and solutions to these challenges. In addition, the White House announced the public and private sectors are committing over $8 billion to address hunger and diet-related diseases. The list of these investments can be found here. |
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