Despite many legislative and political challenges, Jordan Dux, Director, Federal Policy, Nebraska Farm Bureau told the National LICA Committee he is remaining optimistic that an agreement can be reached on a new five-year farm bill. Dux expertly analyzed the positions of the House, Senate and Administration in putting together one of the most important bills facing Congress this year. Dux also explained the American Farm Bureau’s continued legal and legislative fight to protect farmers and ranchers from overzealous regulations like the Water of the U.S. ruling.

House Democrats are charting a new path to writing a farm bill this year with the formation of a special leadership-appointed task force that’s working on recommendations for the legislation. The Democrats’ task force is conducting roundtables and listening sessions with plans to create a list of Democratic recommendations for the upcoming farm bill, according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, a veteran Democrat from Mississippi, who is chairing the group. The group is aiming to compile its recommendations by the end of this month, he said.


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Equipment manufacturers are rallying support of The Precise Act to expand the definition of conservation practices and allows producers to access conservational loans to finance new technologies.

Technology and conservation have always gone hand and hand. By expanding the definition of conservation practices in USDA programs, American farmers and ranchers will be able to leverage their technology investments in their conservation efforts.

Precision agriculture increases crop yields while lowering overall inputs and environmental impacts. The expansion of affordable precision agriculture technologies and applications have the potential to substantially increase crop yields, improve distribution, and reduce input costs, all while lowering emissions and preventing soil degradation.

I Make America and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers are watching intensely to see if these two pieces of important legislation will be incorporated into the Farm Bill.

House Republicans on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies introduced their transportation spending package. The bill provides over $100 billion in funding for transportation programs for fiscal year (FY 2024).


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Total construction spending in May increased by 0.9 percent from April and 2.4 percent year-over-year as gains in manufacturing construction and single-family homebuilding offset a downturn in major infrastructure segments, according to an analysis today by the Associated General Contractors of America of new federal data. Association officials cautioned that unclear and contradictory government regulations were slowing a variety of publicly funded projects and they urged the Biden administration to speed the awarding of contracts..


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Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, plans to attempt once again to reform the existing farm bill payment limits, seeking to tighten the amount of people eligible for the government's agricultural programs. Grassley said he’ll propose more restrictive payment limits in the upcoming reauthorization process, repeating similar efforts he's championed in previous bills.


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