House Shuts Down Spartz' Anti-Checkoff Amendment

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) proposed an anti-checkoff amendment which was shut down in the House by a vote of 49 to 377 in late September. This amendment would have been placed in the H.R. 4368 bill. Spartz’s proposed to stop checkoff funding from being used for research, education, market development and much more.

The American Soybean Association and Kansas Soybean Association worked diligently to inform policy makers about the importance of the checkoff to protect it.

“Policy is important because it gives our elected law maker’s guidance,” Gigstad says. “It is important as a soybean producer to have a voice at the table, if we don’t help in leading the policy process our voice as Kansas soybean producers will be lost.”

Commodity checkoffs exist to promote agricultural products and support American farmers and ranchers, including U.S. soy producers. The soybean checkoff has been in place since the early 1990s and has reached a ROI of $12.34 per dollar invested according to a 2019 study by Cornell University.

USDA oversees the checkoff compliance and conduct yearly audits to ensure funds are being used correctly. Perhaps most importantly, compliance with the law prohibits checkoffs from engaging in policy work or utilizing any assessed funds for government influence. State commodity associations are the forefront of policy work for producers.

Scott Gigstad, KSA President, says his neighbor should care about protecting the checkoff because a group of nine Kansas soybean farmers serve on the Commission to manage the checkoff money.

Every five years, producers contributing to the checkoff have a chance to request a referendum. If 10 percent of contributing producers complete the form at their local FSA office, the existence of the checkoff would be brought to a vote. Historically, there is immense support of the checkoff. To prompt a referendum, 10 percent of soybean farmers must request for one.

Only 708 farmers nationwide requested a referendum in 2019. There are more than half a million soy farmers in the U.S., showing there is immense support of the soybean checkoff and what it does. 

House Chooses New Speaker

In the later half of October, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., was elected Speaker of the House. Johnson comes into this role after Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed from the seat in early October.

According to Politico, one of Johnson’s top priorities is to pass the 2023 Farm Bill, with an ambition it will be passed this December. For this to happen Congress must pass the remaining appropriation bills first.

Having a Speaker of the House voice his agriculture-related priorities is something to rejoice, however, ASA expects there will be an extension of the 2018 Farm Bill temporarily to prevent unnecessary farm law provisions.