Missouri's Rural Economy Relies on Strong Agricultural Sector

Statement

In Congress, those of us who represent rural districts often stand together to ensure federal resources are directed to rural economic development and to push back when Washington bureaucrats propose regulations that could disrupt our way of life. As a member and former chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Rural Caucus, I work in Congress to promote rural jobs by cutting taxes for small business owners and farmers, by supporting the Farm Bill, and by working to reduce burdensome government regulations.
This year, newly proposed government regulations have caused rural representatives, like me, to become very concerned. Proposals by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by federal court ruling, and by the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) could be particularly costly to farmers and the overall rural economy. That is why it has been a priority to ensure federal regulators understand how their proposals will impact farms and small towns and to support legislation that would, in some cases, stop burdensome regulations from going on the books.
In the House, I have written legislation to prevent EPA from implementing potentially costly greenhouse gas regulations on Missouri's power plants, factories, and farms and have urged the EPA to back away from new regulations on dust, which is a naturally-occurring part of rural life. I have also cosponsored legislation to ensure farmers do not have to obtain new water quality permits when applying pesticides. These new permits were ordered by a federal judge, but they are not needed because current federal law already sufficiently regulates pesticide use.
In addition to proposed environmental regulations, GIPSA has unveiled new livestock marketing policies that have raised concern among rural Missouri's livestock farmers. The proposal could seriously alter how livestock is bought and sold in America. Livestock is very important to the rural Missouri economy. Recently, I joined 115 Republican and Democratic colleagues in asking the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately provide producers and Congress with a detailed cost analysis of GIPSA's proposal. Without a thorough economic study, farmers and their elected leaders cannot fully evaluate the proposed policy shift.
Agricultural producers and the businesses on which they depend are vital to the economic health of our rural communities. As the 111th Congress prepares to reconvene, rest assured I will continue working with my colleagues from rural districts to stand up for rural America.

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