Today, Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) announced the members who will lead the committee’s subcommittees in the 115th Congress. “Our subcommittees will be instrumental in crafting the next farm bill. We have to get our work done right, and I am confident these chairmen will do just that. They have each shown excellent leadership skills in chairing subcommittees and are hard-working, respected leaders with a wide range of knowledge and expertise in the agriculture indust...
Read more
Today, the House passed H.R. 238, the Commodity End-User Relief Act, by a vote of 239-182. H.R. 238 is a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), make important regulatory reforms, and most importantly to make important statutory changes to protect end-users and give them access to the tools they need to manage their risks. This bill largely mirrors H.R. 2289 and H.R. 4413, bills to reauthorize the CFTC passed by the House in the 114th and 113th Congresses,...
Read more
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) issued the following statement in response to the House Steering Committee’s recommendation of six new members to serve on the Agriculture Committee. “This is a great group of incoming and returning members, both for the Agriculture Committee and the Republican conference as a whole. Their diverse backgrounds will be integral as the committee goes to work – from protecting the farm safety net for producers, to ensuring the Supplement...
Read more
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway issued the following statement upon Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Timothy Massad’s announcement of resignation. “I want to thank Tim Massad for his work at the helm of the CFTC. During his confirmation process, he committed to listening to the needs of farmers and other traditional hedgers, and I am happy to have watched him follow through on that pledge. Both as Chairman and as sponsor of the Agricultural Advisory Co...
Read more
Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) announced that Jennifer Tiller will join the committee as Professional Staff for nutrition and welfare issues. Tiller, a native of Syracuse, New York, has been working in Washington, D.C. since 2012 as the Director of America Works of Washington, D.C., where her attention was devoted to program operations, public policy, and contract and grant acquisition. Prior to that, Tiller worked in a similar capacity for America Works of...
Read more
Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) issued the following statement in regard to an announcement today by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) that the U.S. will request a Dispute Settlement Panel against China concerning that nation’s $100 billion in excess subsidies—in a single year—for corn, rice, and wheat. USTR also announced that the U.S. will pursue enforcement action against China for its illegal Tariff Rate Quota administration which has ha...
Read more
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the release of three controversial Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rules—one interim final rule and two proposed rules that will be open for a 60-day public comment period. The release follows a November 15th letter from Leader McCarthy and House Committee Chairmen cautioning the current Administration “against finalizing pending rules or regulations in the Administration’s last days” and warning of Congre...
Read more
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final rule implementing the SNAP retailer provisions in Section 4002 of the Agricultural Act of 2014. This provision was intended to improve access to healthy food, particularly when an individual has limited access to large grocery stores. The proposed rule—released February 17, 2016—garnered significant criticism for drastically exceeding the ...
Read more
Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to explore recruitment challenges and scholarship opportunities in 1890 Land-Grant Universities. As a network of historically black colleges and universities dedicated to providing educational opportunity for all through innovative scientific research and community-minded extension programs, the 1890 Land Grant universities have a long history of making significant contributions to agricultural higher education. According to a report issued i...
Read more
Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) unveiled a new report summarizing the committee’s two-year review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Committee members heard from 60 witnesses in 16 hearings over the course of the review known as the Past, Present, and Future of SNAP. The report can be viewed here. SNAP has grown from a pilot program that served just 500,000 people in 1964 to a program that served more than 47 million Americans at the he...
Read more
