A total of 96 Republican House lawmakers have signed a letter to President Joe Biden calling on him to institute new policies aimed at helping American farmers.
The letter was spearheaded by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; GOP Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.; Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who chairs the Republican Conference; and Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee.
"Your administration has neglected to take serious action to increase American production," the letter said. " In fact, you have proposed massive new tax liabilities for farmers, and your regulatory agenda would further limit American farmers' ability to meet global food demand. America's agriculture sector is vital to alleviating global food crises, and we urge your administration to take the following actions to strengthen that role."
These are among the measures the House members called for:
- An end to climate rules that "particularly hurt small farmers that lack the time or resources to comply."
- Refocusing "the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] on sound science, instead of undermining its career scientists and negatively impacting the ability of producers to access crop protection tools."
- Addressing "farm input costs, including energy and fertilizer costs, that have been exacerbated by inflation."
"In short, your Administration's federal regulatory barriers and policies are undermining America's ability to meet the food and fiber needs of the globe by creating uncertainty for U.S. farmers and ranchers," the letter said.
"We cannot afford to continue without a comprehensive plan to reverse course on this destructive agenda and address this crisis. We request that you immediately meet with congressional members to develop a plan that restores domestic production and allows American farmers to lower food prices at home and provide critical humanitarian aid abroad."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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