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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Rep. Rob Bishop, who chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources. Bishop is pleased with recent votes on forestry and water but admits a number of uphill battles remain for his committee and Congress. The Utah Republican minces no words in describing the Obama Administration as the “bully regulation machine” and in this interview discusses his concerns about federal regulations on private and public lands, water supply, and endangered species.
This week's guest on Open Mic is Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. As a member of the House committees on Agriculture as well as Transportation and Infrastructure, the Illinois Democrat is positioned to cast important votes for farmers and rural America. In this informative interview you'll hear her thoughts on congressional consideration of trade agreements and angst against the EPA on implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard. Bustos wants a long term fix for highway spending and believes the charter for the Export/Import Bank should be renewed.
This week’s guest on Open Mic is Representative John Shimkus. The Illinois Republican is pleased with the results of the first six months of the 114th Congress but admits difficult votes lie ahead on spending and regulatory overreach. Shimkus also discusses upcoming trade pacts, GMO labeling and the renewable fuel volume debate.
This week's Open Mic features Representative Ron Kind. As a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Wisconsin Democrat supports free trade and explains why it was such a difficult vote for many Democrats, who largely opposed President Obama. Kind shares his thoughts for the Obama administration in the latter stages of the TPP negotiations, especially in regard to his home state’s dairy industry. He also discusses EPA’s proposed waters of the U.S. rule. As a long-time farm bill critic, he also talks about further changes he’d like to see in crop insurance and other farm programs.
A downturn in commodity prices and the biggest animal health emergency in that state's history has taken a financial toll on Iowa agriculture. In this week's interview, Iowa's Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey addresses producers' recovery from avian influenza and their preparation for further challenges from the disease. Northey discusses the impact of the EPA's delay in announcing RFS volume standards and his disappointment with congressional action on TPA. The road to the White House leads through Iowa and he shares his message for candidates seeking the Oval Office.
Our guest this week is Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. In this week's interview Minister Ritz says the US is out of options and out of time with regard to Country-of-Origin labeling. He discusses the retaliation timetable and the billions of dollars in tariffs that could be placed on U.S. goods. In addition, Ritz says Canada is closely watching the Trade Promotion Authority vote in the U.S. Congress and working closely with Secretary Tom Vilsack to overcome other tough trade issues.
