House Agriculture Committee
Ag panels include some of richest lawmakers
Three of the wealthiest members of Congress, each with a net worth of more than $16 million, serve on the House and Senate Agriculture committees, while the lawmaker with the lowest net worth is on the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the USDA and the FDA, according to Roll Call's calculations.
Rep. Mills faces rematch with Nolan in Minnesota district
Businessman Stewart Mills is running for the second time against Rep Rick Nolan, a House Agriculture Committee member, in the northeastern quadrant of Minnesota, says Roll Call. A moderate Democrat, Nolan won re-election in 2014 with 48.5 percent of the vote in a three-way race. Mills trailed by 3,732 votes, or 1.4 percentage points.
Vice-chairman is third member of House Ag panel to retire
Texas Rep. Randy Neugebauer, vice-chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, announced that he will retire from Congress at the end of 2016.
First-year price of 2014 farm-bill crop subsidies, $6.5 billion
The government will make its first crop-subsidy payments under the 2014 farm law in October, with an estimated transfer of $6.5 billion to follow, said USDA deputy undersecretary Alexis Taylor at a House Agriculture Committee hearing.
Conaway prefers nuance to meat cleaver on immigration
U.S. says COOL costs Canada and Mexico only $91 million
Canada loses only $43.2 million and Mexico $47.6 million from the U.S. law that requires packages of beef and pork to say where the meat was born, raised and slaughtered.
Conaway opposes higher CFTC funding without reauthorization
The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee said he will oppose any increase in funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission until the agency, which oversees the futures exchanges and financial derivatives, is reauthorized.
House may pass bill against GMO labeling before end of July
The U.S. House could vote as early as next week on a bill to pre-empt states from requiring labels on food made with genetically modified organisms. And passage seems assured, backers said, after speedy committee approval of the legislation. The Agriculture Committee, a quarter of whose members are cosponsors of the bill, approved an updated version on a voice vote during a session that ran less than 20 minutes.
GMO foods could be “natural” under House pre-emption bill
A bill to prevent states from requiring labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms could allow GMO foods to be marketed as "natural," opponents claimed ahead of a committee vote scheduled for today on the bill.
Food-stamp enrollment is lowest in nearly four years
Enrollment in food stamps, the premiere U.S. antihunger program, at latest count was the lowest since July 2011, according to USDA data. Some 45.4 million people received food stamps in April, the most recent month for which figures are available.
House Agriculture takes the lead against GMO food labels
The House Agriculture Committee, a stronghold for conventional agriculture, will act first in Congress to prevent states from requiring labels on food made with genetically modified organisms.
After House hustle, a Senate lull for GMO pre-emption bill
The House passed, by a 2-to-1 margin, a bill to pre-empt states from requiring special labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms and sent the legislation to the Senate, where its chief backer says "it's a work in progress" and far from ready for action.
In trial, bird-flu vaccine is highly effective in chickens
A trial vaccine against the bird flu was "100 percent effective on chickens" and is now being tested on turkeys, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told lawmakers.
Lawmakers push USDA on crop insurance revisions
From Chairman Frank Lucas through junior lawmakers, members of the House Agriculture Committee during a hearing told USDA to speed up a re-calculation of farm yields for crop insurance coverage. The re-calculation, required by the new farm bill, would result in growers being credited with higher yields in many instances and would allow a higher level of coverage.
“We…have failed to connect with the public”
The agribusiness sector has failed to make its case with the general public for genetically engineered crops, said witnesses at a House Agriculture subcommittee hearing. Cornell professor David Just, who studies consumer attitudes, said, "In general, we find a large and growing number of consumers who stigmatize GMOs."
House Ag leaders say GMO bill focuses on labels only
With a floor vote near, the leaders of the House Agriculture Committee say a bill to bar states from requiring labels on foods made with genetically modified foods is targeted in its scope.
Obama signs law easing rules on inspection of foreign cotton
President Obama signed into law HR 2620, which backers say will encourage development of new types of cotton futures contracts that help growers hedge their risks.
House panel approves bill for new types of cotton futures
The House Agriculture Committee approved a bill intended to make it easier to develop new cotton futures contracts. The law now requires all cotton tendered under a futures contract listed in the United States to be sampled and graded by the USDA.
House Democrats elect Craig as party leader on Agriculture Committee
Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig said she will employ a principled bipartisanship in her new post as senior Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, "working to find compromise where we can, but fighting for our values where we must." Farm groups said her first goal should be enactment of a new farm bill.