Issue Position: Standing Up For Agriculture

Issue Position

Agriculture is South Dakota's number one industry and something nearly every South Dakotan can trace their roots to. As a lifelong farmer, I understand the industry and the way of life. During the last farm bill negotiations, I brought that experience and perspective to the table as a member of the Conference Committee -- the first time a South Dakota House member has served on the committee in nearly two decades.

After much hard work, a five-year farm bill was signed into law in 2014, offering more certainty and more choices for South Dakota farmers and ranchers. Some of the highlights of the bill include a livestock disaster program that extends through the life of the bill, tools to continue the fight against the pine beetles, and a permanent Office of Tribal Relations within USDA.

Beyond the Farm Bill, I have tackled some of the administration's most egregious ag-related regulations, including:

Preventing unnecessary regulation of dust on the farm. I introduced legislation that passed the House in December 2011 to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from further regulating dust in ways that could prevent farmers from working on windy days. The EPA has since backed down from talks of pursuing stricter regulations.
Standing up to the Obama administration's Department of Labor. When the Labor Department wanted to change child labor rules in ways that could have prevented children from performing chores on the family farm, I fought to prevent these rules from taking effect. The proposed rules were later rescinded.
Defending family farms against unnecessary OSHA regulations. In 2011, OSHA issued a memo without public notice indicating that they had the authority to regulate post-harvest activities (like storage, drying, etc.) They used this memo as justification to inspect small family farms, even though the law stated that family farms are exempt. I put pressure on the agency and in February 2014, they clarified the memo and stepped away from family farms.
The fight continues. The death tax continues to hit family farmers during a time of grief. This is a pain I understand. My own family was hit by the death tax shortly after my father passed away. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I'm committed to repealing this policy.

Additionally, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers continue to attempt one of the largest federal land grabs in U.S. history. By expanding the definition of "waters of the U.S.," even very small water ways -- such as ditches and farmland ponds -- would be subject to federal Clean Water Act regulations. This ruling must be withdrawn.

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