The U.S. House of Representatives failed last week to override President Biden’s veto of a Congressional resolution that would undo the Administration’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule that would seek to find a middle ground between a broader Obama WOTUS rule from 2015 and a narrower 2020 Trump WOTUS proposal, by codifying the regulations that were largely in effect before 2015.
In total, 229 members voted in favor, falling 61 votes short of the two-thirds threshold necessary to override.
NEMWI Tracks the Farm Bill in the 118th Congress:
U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry Committee Holds a Subcommittee Hearing on the Conservation Title in the New Farm Bill
On Thursday, April 20th, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources held a hearing titled “Conservation in the Farm Bill: Making Conservation Programs Work for Farmers and Ranchers,” focusing on the successes and challenges of current conservation programs.
During the hearing, the Chairman Michael Bennet (D - Colorado) opened by stating that the goal of the hearing was “to have an honest conversation about the state of the USDA’s Conservation Programs for better and for worse.” He expressed his hope that this hearing would help identify specific ways to make progress and that he was prepared to work with every member in this committee in a bipartisan way to do so.
Subsequently, Ranking Member Roger Marshall (R - Kansas) shared specific examples from his home state of Kansas on ways ranchers and farmers implement conservation practices such as regenerative agriculture and utilize conservation programs such as USDA’s Great Plains Grassland Initiatives. With his examples, he highlighted that the conservation programs in the next farm bill should focus on the “producers, must be results-driven, rather than solely practice-driven, and must be flexible enough to be useful.”
The hearing was attended by a diverse group of farmers, ranchers, and a policy advisor including: Mr. Paul Bruchez, Rancher and Owner of Reeder Creek Ranch from Kremmling, Colorado; Mr. Ray Flickner, Farmer and Owner of FlicknerFarms from Wichita, Kansas; Mr. Joseluis Ortiz Muniz, Vice President of La Merced de San Antonio del Embudo Land Grant, and Mayordomo, Acequia del Llano del Emdudo from Dixon, New Mexico; Mr. Jeff Rutledge, Partner of Rutledge Farms from Newport, Arkansas; and Dr. Sara, Porterfield, Western Water Policy Advisor of Government Affairs and Trout Unlimited from Boulder, Colorado.
The witnesses provided first-hand experiences and insights,discussing the successes of the program, the challenges faced by farmers and ranchers in accessing them, and the specific ways to improve the USDA’s Conservation Programs.
FOLLOW us on Twitter! The Northeast-Midwest Institute is on Twitter with new updates and information on its regional research and policy education program and with announcements for upcoming briefings and events. NEMWI is posting our research reports on current regional issues and ongoing policy education on the page to make keeping up with our policy work easier than ever. The Institute also is updating the page with announcements of upcoming policy briefings and webinars. NEMWI is excited for the opportunity to connect with as many people as possible on our Twitter page.
Please check out our Twitter page here or by searching @NEMWInstitute. And be sure to FOLLOW us to keep up to date with NEMWI on Twitter!
Follow the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Facebook
LIKE us on Facebook! The Northeast-Midwest Institute is on Facebook with new updates and information on its regional research and policy education program and with announcements for upcoming briefings and events. NEMWI is posting our research reports on current regional issues and ongoing policy education on the page to make keeping up with our policy work easier than ever. The Institute also is updating the page with announcements of upcoming policy briefings and webinars. NEMWI is excited for the opportunity to connect with as many people as possible on our Facebook page.
Please check out our Facebook page here. And be sure to LIKE us to begin following NEMWI on Facebook!
