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Legislative Update from Washington, D.C.
The American Sheep Industry Association’s lobbying firm – Cornerstone Government Affairs – offered an update this week on legislative issues in our nation’s capital.
FINAL Congressional Push for Lamb Import Investigation: ASI Mobilizes Industry Ahead of Jan. 9 Deadline
In recent weeks, the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) has been actively working to advance both House and Senate “Dear Colleague” letters. These letters call on members of Congress to urge the U.S. Trade Representative to support the U.S. International Trade Commission in initiating a global safeguard investigation into lamb meat imports under Sections 201–202 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Tragically this week, Western Caucus Chairman and House letter lead, Rep. Doug. LaMalfa (R-CA) passed away unexpectedly. Rep. LaMalfa was a fierce advocate for our issues and the Western way of life. In lieu of his leadership on our “Dear Colleague” letter initiative, ASI has decided to hold off on pushing this letter forward until a new leader is established.
ASI is still moving forward with the Senate letter, spearheaded by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). The sheep industry is making a strong push to secure signatures before tomorrow’s January 9th deadline. ASI, Cornerstone staff and state associations have reached out to members of Congress who have championed or been an ally to the industry and urged their support for our initiative and the letter. While this outreach has been critical and effective, your producer and constituent voices matter most. Members of Congress respond most successfully to constituents in their state and district. Cornerstone has and continues to offer support finding contact information for your members. If you have not already reached out to your members of Congress, please do so TODAY.
USDA Announces FBA Payment Rates for Eligible Commodities
On December 31, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the payment rates for all eligible commodities under the current Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program. Of the total $12 billion allocated towards the FBA program, $11 billion is designated for one-time payments to traditional row crop producers and the remaining $1 billion will be reserved for uncovered commodities. FBA payments for currently eligible producers are expected to be delivered to producers by February 28, 2026. Timelines for payments for producers that fall under the uncovered commodities category are still under development and require additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs.
ASI is actively working on connecting with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on potential inclusion of wool in the $1 billion for FBA’s uncovered commodities. For more information, you can contact your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office or visit the online FBA landing page here.
Justin Benavidez Appointed as USDA Chief Economist
This week it was announced that Justin Benavidez, previously the chief economist for the majority staff of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, was appointed to serve as the next chief economist at the USDA. There he will lead the department’s economic analysis and forecasting efforts. Benavidez has been a great partner to the sheep industry for many years through his work on the Hill and beyond.
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