WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2016 - Donald Trump’s campaign is
circulating a set of talking
points on agricultural policy that includes a pledge that a Trump
administration would work to stop states from imposing regulations that affect
farmers nationwide. The 15 points also pledge that a Trump administration would
be an “active participant in writing a new and better farm bill” in the next
Congress.
The talking points were developed in consultation with
Trump’s agricultural advisory council last week and then approved by the
campaign staff in New York before being circulated to members of the advisory team,
according to a source.
Trade, immigration get mention. Trade and immigration
both are included but they’re literally low on the list. The 13th talking point
promises that Trump will negotiate better trade deals for manufacturing “while
continuing to protect and defend our vital agricultural export markets.”
The final point on the list is on immigration and it
reiterates that Trump would consult with farmers in carrying out his
immigration policy. The full talking point: “Trump recognizes the unique labor
challenges facing the American farm community and will include farmers and
ranchers in the process of determining the best possible immigration policies.”
Left unaddressed is what Trump would do about illegal
immigrants. Trump has indicated that he would focus on deporting criminal
aliens and would decide what to do about other illegal immigrants later.
The talking points also include Trump’s promise to withdraw
the Obama administration’s “waters of the United States” rule and a separate
pledge that “all segments of the agriculture industry will have a say” in the
development of any future regulations.
Two ag advisers ask off Trump team. Two members of
Trump’s agricultural advisory team have asked to have their names removed since
the disclosure of the candidate’s lewd remarks in a 2005 video: Rep. Rodney
Davis, R-Ill., and Tsosie Lewis, former CEO of the Navaho Nation's Agricultural
Products Industries.
A third member of the ag team, South Dakota Gov. Dennis
Daugaard, has called on Trump to withdraw from the race but said
yesterday that he still plans to vote him. He is still on the ag
advisory council.
Two farm-state senators who joined Daugaard in calling on
Trump last weekend to withdraw from the race, John Thune of South Dakota and
Nebraskan Deb Fischer, also have now shifted and indicated they will vote for
him.
Three GOP House members targeted on food issues. Food Policy Action,
a political action group that represents environmentalists, consumer advocates
and other groups working to change farm and food policy, has targeted for
defeat three vulnerable Republican members of the House. They are Rod Blum of
Iowa, Scott Garrett of New Jersey and David Valadao in California’s Central
Valley.
Food Policy Action says it will be providing digital
assistance and mail on behalf of the Democratic challengers in each of the
races. Ken Cook, who co-founded the group, would only say only that the total
spending would be in the “six figures.”
The group has made endorsements in six House races
altogether and six more Senate races. But in limiting its spending to three
House races the group maximizes both the effectiveness of its limited spending
and the chance that the group can claim credit for having an impact.
Food Policy Action also produces an annual scorecard on
congressional votes, and the 2016 version will be out next week. The House
votes that the group rated last year included GMO labeling, the WOTUS rule and
Trade Promotion Authority.
EWG releases conservation database. The Environmental
Working Group is going public with the first searchable database of
conservation spending by county. The database allows policymakers and
interested groups to tell where the programs are spending money and on what
practices.
Craig Cox, EWG’s senior vice president for agriculture and
natural resources, tells Agri-Pulse that the data should help USDA
ensure that spending under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and
Conservation Stewardship Program is better focused on critical resource
concerns.
EPA extends RIN crackdown. The owners of an Indiana
biofuel production operation have pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and false
statements for their roles in a scheme that generated over $60 million in
fraudulent tax credits and EPA renewable fuels credits. Fred Witmer and Gary
Jury, co-owners of Triton Energy and Gen2 Renewable Diesel, agreed to serve 57
months and 30 months in prison, respectively.
Although the Renewable Fuel Standard program requires that
renewable fuel be used domestically for transportation, Witmer admitted selling
it for production of fire starter logs and asphalt, and also for
power generation. Jury admitted to participating in a conspiracy to
fraudulently claim tax credits and to providing false statements to the EPA.
The announcement is the third in recent weeks involving
alleged violations of the RFS. On Oct. 4, the Justice Department said Western
Dubuque Biodiesel had agreed to pay $6 million to settle charges it generated
Renewable Identification Numbers for renewable fuel produced using unapproved
feedstocks and production processes. On Sept. 29, DOJ said Chemoil had
agreed to pay a $27 million fine and retire $71 million worth of RINs for
exporting biodiesel but failing to retire the associated RINs. The fine was the
largest in the history of EPA’s fuel programs.
She said it. “In 2014, I’m convinced that not just Farm
Bureau but no farm organizations had very much interaction with their members
and part of the reason was the price was too good at that point in time, and so
they weren’t as focused on a safety net.” – Mary Kay Thatcher of the American
Farm Bureau Federation, speaking
to Agri-Pulse
Steve Davies and Spencer Chase contributed to this
report.
#30
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