In late May, the House Agriculture Committee which includes four Texas Representatives – Congressman Ronny Jackson, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, and Congressman Greg Casar approved the Farm, Food, and National Security Act or 2024 (AKA 2024 Farm Bill). This action sends the approved version to the House floor for further debate and potential passage.
In the Ag committee’s version, all of the National Pork Producer’s Council’s priorities were included. NPPC’s top priority was the Prop. 12 provision that would preempt states from imposing their own farm production standards on livestock raised outside their borders. Prop. 12 bans the sale in California of pork from hogs born to sows raised anywhere in housing that does not meet the state’s arbitrary standards.
Among the other provisions backed by the U.S. pork industry are ones that:
• Double the funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program, which help promote U.S. exports.
• Provide $233 million for each fiscal year through fiscal 2009 for resources to protect the nation’s food supply from foreign animal diseases. That includes funds for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank.
• Codify USDA’s National Detector Dog Training Center, which trains canines used at U.S. ports of entry to detect agricultural contraband (AKA The Beagle Brigade)
• Reauthorize and increase funding for the federal Feral Swine Eradication Program.
Texas Pork Producers Association participated in Hill visits in April advocating for NPPC’s priorities to be included. All visits with Texas representatives were very positive and showed strong support for the pork industry. TPPA will continue to advocate for full House passage and then passage in the Senate. In early June, Senate Republicans released their Farm Bill framework which also included all NPPC’s priorities. This framework will be considered with Chairwoman Stabenow’s (D-MI) version that was issued in March. There is hope that the final Senate version will be completed and start to move through the Senate by the end of the summer. If so, there is a window for the final Farm Bill to be passed and on President Biden’s desk during the 2024 lame-duck period (the days Congress is in session in between the November 5th election and December 31st).