Congress
Two aggies running for gubernatorial nomination in Florida
Two former members of the House Agriculture Committee are running for governor in Florida — Democrat Gwen Graham, who served one term in Congress, and Republican Adam Putnam, the state agriculture commissioner since 2010. Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, is term-limited so the race for the governor's mansion is wide open, said Roll Call.
Safeguard nutrition programs, antihunger groups ask Trump, Congress
The antihunger community asked President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress to protect public nutrition programs, from food stamps and school lunch to commodity donation programs.
Campaign for immigration reform aims for action in 2017
The "Reason for Reform" campaign launched by proponents of comprehensive immigration reform is trying to persuade Republican lawmakers to support an overhaul in 2017 with the argument that the U.S. economy would benefit, says Politico. The campaign, backed by a group led by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, underscores that "reform — should it occur next year — will be a fiercely contested legislative fight."
Newcomer Marshall defeats Tea Party incumbent in Kansas
Political newcomer Roger Marshall, an obstetrician and self-described peacemaker, defeated three-term Rep. Tim Huelskamp, a die-hard Tea Party conservative who wore out his welcome, in a landslide in the Republican primary in the "Big First" congressional district of Kansas.
Food companies on board with healthy school food
Politico’s Helena Bottemiller Evich examined how food companies that were once fighting healthier school-nutrition standards are now embracing them because of profits derived from churning out healthier fare.
Vilsack touts school-meals program as reauthorization debate looms
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicks off his campaign for reauthorization of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which is set to expire on Sept. 30. It is one of the major agenda items when Congress returns from its August recess.
Concerns over ‘The Other White Meat’
A U.S. Court of Appeals has allowed a lawsuit to go forward over payments between two pork organizations for the use of the iconic tagline, “Pork: the Other White Meat,” Politico reports.
Dems say farmers need help to comply with FSMA rules
Fourteen Democrats in Congress asked the FDA to help small farmers comply with new food safety laws due next spring, said The Hill newspaper.
COOL repeal bill could get House vote in early June
After a landslide 38-6 vote in committee, Agriculture chairman Michael Conaway said the House might vote in early June on legislation to repeal mandatory country-of-origin labels (COOL) for beef, pork and chicken. The Agriculture Committee voted for repeal two days after the WTO ruled the labeling system is a barrier to livestock imports. COOL has been mandatory for U.S. meat since 2008.
COOL repeal will barrel through House in June, says Conaway
House Agriculture chairman Michael Conaway forecasts easy passage of a bill to repeal country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on cuts of beef, pork and chicken, beginning with his committee today and on the House floor in June. "If we can get a big vote in the House ... that will help" build momentum for Senate approval, Conaway told reporters on Capitol Hill. He said he was working with GOP House leaders to arrange a floor vote in early June. "The train is leaving the station, if not left the station."
TPP talks slow as U.S. wrangles over fast-track voting
Canada and Japan will not wrap up negotiations for the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership unless the United States can guarantee that Congress will not try to re-write the deal, says Reuters.
Ruling on Vermont GMO label law may put heat on Congress
U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss ruled that Vermont can proceed with its first-in-the-nation law requiring special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms. The law takes effect on July 1, 2016. Foodmakers sued to block the law shortly after it was passed last year, and requested an injunction against implementation of the law while the suit was being decided.
Roberts’ school food goals: local flexibility, spending lid
Congress should overhaul the school meals programs to allow some local flexibility in serving healthy food, said Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts, who plans to hold down the pricetag - no new spending without an offset. "Our budgetary constraints are real," Roberts said during the committee's first hearing on reauthorization of child-nutrition programs costing $22 billion a year. The chairman said he intended to have a new law in place before the Sept. 30 expiration of the current programs, a fairly tight schedule to move legislation through both chambers of Congress and to the White House, with time out for the summer recess.
Senate, House bills would require GMO food labels
House and Senate sponsors announced a new drive in Congress to require labels on food made with genetically modified organisms. "Consumers have a right to know what is in the foods they eat," said California Sen. Barbara Boxer, one of the lead sponsors of the legislation. Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, the lead sponsor in the House, said, "If food manufacturers stand by their product and the technology they use to make it, they should have no problem disclosing that information to consumers."
Foes drop lawsuit, focus on Congress to fix COOL
Opponents of country-of-origin labels (COOL) on meat sold in grocery stores say they will focus on getting Congress to remodel the law. The foes withdrew a lawsuit against COOL rather than appeal to the Supreme Court after adverse rulings in U.S. district...
Crop insurance cut of 17% is proposed in USDA budget
Two crop insurance reforms would cut the cost of the federally subsidized program by about 17 percent under the fiscal 2016 budget proposed for the Agriculture Department. The program is a routine target for cuts, most of which are rejected. This time, the administration proposed a lower premium subsidy for so-called revenue policies based on prices at harvest time, and reforms to prevented-planting coverage. Together, the changes would save $16 billion over 10 years.
Nunnelee dies, was on House panel for USDA funding
Mississippi Rep. Alan Nunnelee, a fiscal and social conservative who was the second-ranking Republican on House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, died on Friday at age 56, only a few weeks into his third term in Congress.
USDA expects uptick in school lunch participation number
A program that provides free school meals to all pupils in high-poverty neighborhoods will be the main driver in boosting participation in the school lunch and school breakfast program, says the Agriculture Department. In its proposed budget for fiscal 2016, USDA forecasts average lunch participation of 30.3 million students daily, up 100,000 from the current year, and school breakfast of 14.6 million students daily, up 600,000.