Senate

A Congressional Review Act, or CRA, put forward by both Idaho senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, cleared the Senate Thursday, challenging the Biden administration’s Waters of the United States rule, which grossly expands federal regulatory authority over water.   “...

The Senate failed to act on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act last year.  We asked Mark Powers with the Northwest Horticultural Council his thoughts, and if he expects to see Ag labor/immigration reform anytime soon.     If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsqu...

After nearly two years vacant, the Senate confirmed Doug McKalip to be Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the United States Trade Representative Thursday.  After the vote, USTR, Katherine Tai said McKalip has generated broad, bipartisan support from Members of Congress, governors, and state agriculture commissioners, and also received strong endorsements from key stakeholders.  Tai add...

The Senate’s $1.7 trillion spending bill to finish this fiscal year boosts agricultural research, rural development, and nutrition, but doesn’t include long-fought cattle market reforms.  The more than 4,000-page bill leaves out controversial legislation sought by Senator Chuck Grassley to force some cattle price negotiating by major packers, known as the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Ac

A bipartisan group of House members is urging the Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act as the end of the current Congress quickly approaches.  The House has already cleared the bipartisan legislation twice, but it continually gets held up in the Senate.  Idaho R...

Labor demands continue to tax the bottom lines of farmers and ranchers, with rising wage rates and record usage of the H-2A visa program.  The American Farm Bureau Federation said meaningful reforms to the federal government's guest worker program must be a priority for Congress by the end of the year.  AFBF an...

We are just days away from election day 2022.  And despite several statewide races, including Governor, U.S. Senate and all House positions, at last report, voter turnout across Oregon is just over 19%.  That figure is lower than many experts expected.   Oregon Sta...

Groups like the American Business Immigration Coalition Action, the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and many others involved in U.S. dairy held a press conference on labor shortages during World dairy Expo in Wisconsin...

The National Grain and Feed Association asked Congress to intervene, if necessary, to prevent any interruptions of rail service that could occur if negotiations fail between carriers and labor groups. Last week, the association sent letters to the leaders of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, Transportation, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee...

Federal lawmakers are out of D.C., for their month-long congressional recess.  Tom Donnelly, Director of Grassroots Program Development at the American Farm Bureau, said the August is the ideal time for farmers and ranchers to engage with senators and representatives, and advocate for Ag. “We h...