House Agriculture Committee Hearing This week, I participated in the House Agriculture Committee hearing entitled, “A 2022 Review of the Farm Bill: The Role of USDA Programs in Addressing Climate Change.” I raised the challenges caused by statutorily set reference prices as commodities, such as rice, experience declining prices and astronomical fuel, fertilizer, and other input costs.    Watch my exchange with Dr. Joe Outlaw, Co-Director of the Agriculture and Food Policy Center in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University, here. This exchange highlights the need to revisit current reference price policy. Commodity price protection – Price Loss Coverage or Agricultural Risk Coverage – is based on a price set in law, known as a reference price. If a commodity’s market year average price does not meet the reference price, a price protection payment is triggered. The goal of price protection programs is to protect agricultural producers from market fluctuations. However, if the reference price is not based on current market conditions, that protection may not be realized. As we draft the next Farm Bill, the House Agriculture Committee must keep producers top of mind to ensure we enact policies to enable them to continue feeding and clothing the world.

H.R. 7014 - Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act - Yea This bill increases tariffs on Russian imports. This bill also attempts to remove Russia from the World Trade Organization (WTO). This bill provides incentives for normalizing trade relations again when the aggression stops and Ukraine's sovereignty is secure. H.R. 2116 - The CROWN Act of 2021 - Nay This bill is unnecessary and duplicative - the type of discrimination prohibited by the CROWN Act is already illegal under federal law. House Democrats held no hearings on this bill. House Democrats continue to ignore the challenges facing Americans. H.R. 963 - The FAIR Act of 2021 - Nay This bill will increase litigation costs which will hurt American consumers, job creators, and small businesses. This bill applies retroactively. This bill takes the option of arbitration off the table.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette State's delegation joins call to better arm Ukraine U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford said a no-fly zone over Ukraine would require direct action against Russia. That, the Republican said, would result in American pilots engaging Russian pilots, adding that implementing a no-fly zone would require ground support. "I do not support a U.S. no-fly zone," he said, adding that he would support "allowing European allies to help Ukraine enforce their own no-fly zone." "President Zelenskyy made his case for a no-fly zone knowing that he probably would not move anybody," said Crawford, who is a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and was in Ukraine last year. Talk Business & Politics Zelensky addresses U.S. Congress ARKANSAS CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION RESPONSE: U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an inspirational figure, and he shows great courage facing down the violence of Vladimir Putin’s regime. As I told Ukrainian officials when I was there in December, the United States should, alongside our allies, supply Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defend itself. While I oppose inserting American troops into Ukraine, I will continue to work with my colleagues in bipartisan fashion to increase the speed and volume of weapons deliveries that the Ukrainian people need to defend themselves against Putin’s aggression.”

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