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Spending bill clears U.S. House with ag riders

 

The omnibus spending bill includes provisions that will benefit farmers and ranchers.

Senate Ag Committee ranking member Debbie Stabenow of Michigan says the budget bill includes more than $1 billion for rural water infrastructure, nearly $2 billion for wildfire suppression, and $600 million for rural broadband.  “Our world now is so tied up with technology and the internet that we need to make sure that small towns and rural communities have access to high speed internet so there’s a major increase in funding support.”  She tells Brownfield $3.3 billion will address the opioid crisis and the spending bill secures funding for the Great Lakes.

U.S. Ag Secretary Perdue says he’s pleased with the measure which includes a fix to the Section 199A tax provision, exempts farms from emissions reporting, and extends Electronic Logging Device (ELD) waivers for livestock haulers.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association lobbyist Colin Woodall agrees, saying the exemption from emissions reporting prevents 200,000 farms and ranches from being regulated like toxic waste sites. Woodall says the ELD waiver extension is positive because current Hours of Service rules don’t work for truckers hauling livestock long distances.

AUDIO: Interview with Senator Debbie Stabenow