Issue Position: Agriculture

Issue Position

Values

Agriculture and forestry are an integral part of Southside and Southwest Virginia's economy and heritage. Virginia's agriculture industry is by far the largest industry in the Commonwealth, generating $55 billion annually and providing more than 357,000 jobs. It is also the largest industry in the Ninth Congressional District.

We must preserve and protect the health and vitality of this industry and avoid unnecessary and burdensome regulations that are not based on sound science or have failed to undergo comprehensive economic impact studies.

Believes in the importance of thorough and accurate information relating to food and reasonable food safety regulations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in six Americans gets sick from food-borne illnesses each year. Eating contaminated food causes 5,000 deaths annually in the U.S.

Believes the tradition of hunting and fishing is a part of Virginia's rich heritage and the Virginia Constitution. I recognize the need to preserve hunting and fishing as one of the great traditions of this nation. It should be done in a manner that meets the highest standards of ethics and sportsmanship.

Actions

Member of the Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus and the Congressional Chicken Caucus.

Formed a Ninth District Beef Advisory Group with members from local cattlemen's associations to receive input and advice on issues affecting farmers, the beef industry, and the broader agricultural community.

Supported the Agricultural Act of 2014 (H.R. 2642). Recognizing the importance of agriculture to the economy of the Ninth District of Virginia, I supported passage of a five-year Farm Bill to give farmers the safety net and certainty that they need to feed America. The Farm Bill that was passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by President Obama makes many fiscally responsible reforms and consolidation of agriculture programs while reducing our federal deficit by $16.6 billion.

Cosponsored and supported the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act of 2013 (H.R. 1526), which passed the House on September 20, 2013. This common-sense "Trees for Schools' legislation seeks to properly manage National Forest Lands, promote responsible timber production, help provide jobs for hard-working Americans, and support rural forest communities by sharing revenue that can be used by local governments for education and other public services. Localities in the Ninth District of Virginia that would benefit are: Alleghany, Bland, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe.

Cosponsored the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013 (H.R. 1528) to amend the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and reverse a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) policy that made it illegal for veterinarians to carry and use vital medications for pain management, anesthesia and euthanasia on farms, in house calls, in veterinary mobile clinics, or ambulatory response situations for the treatment of livestock and pets. The bill passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support and was signed into law by the President.

Sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to ensure a steady stream of commodities are provided through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to food banks, like Feeding America Southwest Virginia.

Sent letters to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman regarding the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreements to ensure that non-science based restrictions on U.S. agricultural exports are removed by our new partner nations.

Supports the Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act of 2013 (H.R. 2026), which would prevent EPA from overreaching and placing an undue burden on the timber harvesting industry. The current regulatory scheme governing the harvest of timber, including runoff from forest roads, has been very successful, and this is a matter that should be left to the states.

Source