Rob Portman

Budget Deal Contains Horrible Crop Insurance Provision

October 27, 2015 By Ron Sylvester 1 Comment

One would think that if Congress were to take $3 billion out of the private sector crop insurance delivery system there would be hearings and lots of work done on the economics of the proposal by both sides of the issue.

You would be wrong to think that, because tomorrow there will be a vote in the U.S. House to accept a budget deal which contains what amounts to a $3 billion cut in the crop insurance subsidies that are so critical to the U.S. farm safety net.

According to the legislative shop at the National Farmers Union, this bit of business is such a surprise that both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are lining up to oppose the entire budget deal if it contains this cut. NFU staff are all hands on deck canvassing members of Congress and senators all day today to oppose the deal.

The national budget can’t be balanced on the backs of farmers. While it is true that this money will come out of the insurance industry, it’s also true that there will be a trickle down effect in rural America. The compromises that took so many years to forge in the last Farm Bill set up what is essentially a public-private system behind the safety net. It can’t just be torn down in a day.

Here’s a quote from an email I received today from a staffer at NFU that sums it up nicely:

While this is a direct hit to crop insurance companies, there can be no doubt about the trickledown effect onto the countryside. Consolidation is already occurring in the crop insurance industry, and this will only speed up that consolidation, which will mean fewer choices and a less efficient private sector delivery system for producers.

And, if you think that farmers haven’t already done their piece for the national budget, consider the two charts pictured here. They speak for themselves.

Call your member of Congress and both of our U.S. Senators – Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman. You may call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your representative or one of the senators. Tell them to vote NO on the budget deal if it contains the cut to the Private Sector Delivery System to Crop Insurance.

This is horrible policy and should be a poison pill to kill the whole deal.

Here’s more information:

Read Joe Logan’s Op-Ed on Voluntary COOL Compromise

August 21, 2015 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: OFU President Joe Logan penned this op-ed for the Cincinnati Enquirer. It’s online and ran in print edition.

Today’s consumer goods are sourced from around the world and quality can vary greatly, so naturally, folks want to know the origin of their food. This is not only common sense, but is supported by a decade’s worth of polling.

And this isn’t simply an American phenomenon. European consumers demanded food labeling after they found out that the “beef” they were consuming was actually imported, mislabeled horse meat. Congress recognized the consumer demand for food labeling and passed a popular labeling law known as Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) in 2008.

COOL simply says that muscle cuts of meat, and some fruits and vegetables, must be labeled with the name of the country where the product was produced and processed. Unfortunately, common sense doesn’t always win the day, so our popular labeling law has been challenged in federal court by the multinational meat packers. Failing there, our chief trade competitors – Canada and Mexico – filed an official dispute, claiming severe economic harm, at the World Trade Organization. In response to fears of economic retaliation being considered by the WTO, the U.S. House of Representatives repealed the law and the fate of COOL is now in the hands of the U.S. Senate.

Your favorite shirt, your winter coat, your kitchen appliances and the replacement parts for your car are all labeled with their country of origin, so why shouldn’t your food be? According to a decade’s worth of polling on this issue, roughly 90 percent of the nation’s consumers support food labeling.

It’s just common sense that parents want to know as much as possible about what they are putting into their mouths, and the mouths of their children. Some consumers want to eat locally, purchasing Ohio sweet corn – the best corn in the world – while others don’t care if their corn comes from Ohio, Ottawa, or Oaxaca. But regardless of what they want, they can’t make that targeted distinction if the food isn’t labeled.

The notion of shopping local or buying American is very popular among many consumers, who see the value of spending their hard-earned incomes close to home, supporting their local farmers and rural economies. But it can only happen if the food is labeled.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio has stood strong against the notion of repealing the COOL law and is working on compromise solution in the Senate. His alternative would retain the framework of the COOL law, while bringing it into WTO compliance by making COOL voluntary for beef and pork. This should not only appease the objections of our trading partners, given Canada has a voluntary labeling program on the books, but also give consumers who want to support their local farmers the option to do so.

Additionally, Canada and Mexico both suggested the adoption of a voluntary system in the 2012 WTO Appellate Body Report, and the U.S. trade representative’s office also noted that repealing the mandatory requirement and replacing it with a voluntary system has the “potential to constitute compliance with U.S. WTO obligations.” That gives voluntary COOL the “thumbs up” from every corner.

And while Ohio Farmers Union has fought for mandatory labeling for years, this bill would avoid the current lobbyist-driven call for a complete repeal and ensure that the framework for accurate food labeling remains on the books. It’s a far better option than complete repeal of COOL.

When you throw some meat on the grill this weekend, think about how and where that food was produced and processed. Let Brown know that you support his efforts, and urge Sen. Rob Portman to support food labeling, as well.

Farm Bill Passes Senate, Goes to President

February 5, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown

Having moved now through final passage in both houses of Congress, the latest version of a comprehensive Farm Bill goes to President Barack Obama’s desk where a signature is expected and the bill will become law.

Both Ohio Senators – Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown – voted in favor of passage. To see how Ohio members of the House voted last week, click here.

The end of a long journey is near. This latest Farm Bill’s movement through Congress began in 2012. At various times it has been held along the way by varied issues from food stamps to the dairy program. The bill will do away with most direct payments to farmers, instead relying on a revamped system of federally supported crop insurance.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman

“The Farm Bill is more than just a long-term policy on agriculture; it’s a jobs bill; it’s a food and nutrition bill; it’s an investment in rural communities, and it provides certainty for American farmers and producers,” Brown said. “For three years, I have fought for passage of a bill that balances the need for reform while making smart investments in conservation, nutrition, renewable energy, and rural development programs. This bill achieves that balance. By streamlining programs, reducing regulatory hurdles, and replacing direct farm payments with market-based supports, we now have a system that is more responsive to farmers’ needs and more responsible to taxpayers.”

“Family farmers and ranchers have always been willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work that is needed to feed, fuel and clothe our nation and our world. It is only fitting that this legislation inspired Congress to do the hard work necessary to come together and pass a comprehensive, bipartisan five-year farm bill that enacts meaningful reforms and provides an effective safety net for farmers and needy Americans alike,” said National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson.

“One of the best ways that President Obama could expand opportunities for working families, including the 16 million Americans employed in the agriculture industry, would be to sign the single piece of legislation that benefits every sector of our economy,” Johnson added.

Portman signals support for currency manipulation protections in trade agreement

September 15, 2013 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

We learned Friday that U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-OH, has signed onto a letter to federal trade officials asking for currency manipulation protections in U.S. trade negotiations such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The Ohio Farmers Union and National Farmers Union are supporters of the Coalition for a Prosperous America a coalition of manufacturing, agricultural, worker, consumer and citizen interests working at the grassroots to reshape U.S. trade policy that is based on roughly balanced trade among nations without surrendering sovereignty, damaging the environment or compromising food safety. CPA has been working to gain Portman’s and other federal legislators’ support for measures to reduce currency manipulation by other countries. Ohio Farmers Union past-President Joe Logan serves on the CPA Board of Directors Executive Committee. John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union is also a member of the CPA board.

Currency manipulation is an important component of turning around the U.S. negative trade balance. Nations like China and Japan purposefully lower the value of their national currencies making products produced in their countries essentially discounted on world markets versus those manufactured in the United States. Ending currency manipulation around the world will not cure the U.S. trade problem on its own, but it is a reversible competitive disadvantage for U.S. manufacturers and farmers that can be solved if Congress and the Obama Administration were to make it a priority.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a proposed free trade agreement among among the United States, Japan, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. It would cover nearly all goods and services sectors. The Peterson Economic Institute lists Japan, Malaysia and Singapore as nations currently manipulating their currencies from the TPP partners.

[Read more…]

Farm Bill Down in Flames in U.S. House

June 21, 2013 By Ron Sylvester 1 Comment

2013 version of 1980s ‘welfare queen’ is apparently ‘food stamp guy’ who bought crab legs in Texas

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman’s “no” vote against the bipartisan Senate version of the Farm Bill last week may have been foreshadowing the real chances of a bill passing in the House.

Portman offered two reason for voting “no” earlier this month. First, he disagrees with the Senate bill’s language on countercyclical payments. Second, and more telling from the standpoint of “Realpolitik 2013,” he said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was not cut enough. Known as SNAP, this is the major portion of the nutrition title of the bill, the program we all know in everyday conversation as “food stamps.”

Interestingly enough, the Farm Bill this time wasn’t defeated by GOP members voting “no.” It was defeated because of SNAP-related floor amendments that made the bill so objectionable to Democrats that many of them abandoned support for the entire bill.

One such amendment which passed with GOP support would have required SNAP recipients to be employed. Robert Greenstein of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explained this provision in a blog post:

… this extreme provision would allow states to terminate benefits to households where adults — including parents with children as young as 1 year old and many people with disabilities — are not working or participating in a work or training program at least 20 hours a week. It would not require states to make any work opportunities available and would provide no jobs and no funds for work or training programs. Thus, people who want to work and are looking for a job but haven’t found one could have their benefits cut off. Their children’s benefits could be cut off, as well.

The assault on SNAP was lead by Tea Partiers like U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, (R-Texas). He controlled 30 minutes of the House GOP’s time on the floor yesterday during the Farm Bill debate. As National Journal points out, he made the most of it with his anti-SNAP – and ultimately anti-Farm Bill – rhetoric:

“When we look at the food stamp bill that had 20 percent farm in it…”

“SNAP … has a real snap to it.”

“When I look into the eyes of constituents, who want to provide for their children … and they talk about standing in line, I’ve heard this story so many times … standing in line at a grocery store behind people with a food-stamp car—one individual said, I love crab legs. You know, the big king crab legs. I love those. But we haven’t been able to have those in who knows when. But I’m standing behind a guy who has those in his basket, and I’m looking longingly like, when can I ever make enough again where our family can have something like that, and sees the food-stamp card pulled out, and provided, he looks at the king crab legs and looks at the ground meat, and realizes because he does pay income tax, he doesn’t get more back than he pays in, he is actually helping pay for the king crab legs when he can’t pay for them for himself.”

“From the amount of obesity in this country, by people we’re told do not have enough to eat, it does seem like we can have a debate about this issue without allegations about wanting to slap down or starve children.”

This kind of thinking – if the diatribe above can be considered thought – is what is killing the Farm Bill. For decades, five-year Farm Bills were heavy lifting, but the coalition which existed between agriculture and urban interests was built on the nutrition title. That coalition is apparently not working any longer in the U.S. House. Outside of politics, there are good reasons to tie nutrition programs to our larger national food policy as represented by the Farm Bill. Agricultural interest groups at the national level have a lot of work to do to re-educate Congress on the facts. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives may be beyond reason in its current form.

The problem is: Will today’s Congress listen? Tea Partiers like Gohmert aren’t interested in reason. Their ultimate goal seems to be the complete deconstruction of government. For instance, on SNAP, their argument goes something like this: SNAP has grown since the Great Recession to the point that around 1 in 7 Americans is eligible or using the program – so it must be cut. There is no deep analysis as to the root causes of hunger in America. There is no alternative policy prescription to fight hunger. It’s just “cut ’em off.”

In the place of real data to support their arguments that SNAP is bloated, inefficient and wasteful we get 1980’s era welfare queen anecdotes. One guy in Texas telling a winger congressman that he saw a “food stamp guy” buy crab legs is not a data point. It might not even be true.

If memory serves, there was a time in Congress when the extremists – on both the left and right – were on the fringes. They didn’t run the show and things could eventually get done. Today, the inmates are now officially running the asylum.

Senate passes 2012 Farm Bill in bipartisan vote, 64-35

June 21, 2012 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Ohio Senators: Brown, a ‘yea,’ Portman, a ‘nay’

NFU supportive, process moves to a dysfunctional House

The 2012 version of the Farm Bill which delivers $23 billion in deficit reduction and moves the agricultural safety net away from direct payments and toward a beefed up crop insurance program as two of its major features passed the U.S. Senate today by a vote of 64-35.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, (D-OH), voted for the measure. Sen. Rob Portman, (R-OH), voted against the bill.

“The bipartisan, Senate-passed farm bill is the most significant reform of U.S. agriculture in decades – saving taxpayers $23 billion while investing in Ohio’s number one industry,” Brown said.

“This farm bill is forward thinking, yet realistic. The centerpiece of the bill’s deficit reduction efforts is based on a bill I authored with my colleague, Sen. (John) Thune, (R-SD) that would end the era of paying farmers for crops that they don’t grow and replace direct payments with market-based supports that’s more responsive to farmers and taxpayers. This farm bill is a jobs and innovation bill, an economic relief and development bill, and it affects every American every day,” added Brown, the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in 40 years.

The National Farmers Union issued two statements today – one urging passage of the bill and one congratulating senators on the achievement after its passage. NFU President Roger Johnson said he’s pleased with many of the provisions in the Senate bill such as mandatory funding for renewable energy programs. Although supportive of the bill’s move away from direct payments to support agriculture in the U.S., Johnson remains concerned about long-term price declines.

[Read more…]

OFU & other Ohio-based food & environmental interest groups ask Portman for sound farm, food and environmental policies in Super Committee

November 9, 2011 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

(Columbus, OH)—The Ohio Farmers Union, Association of Second Harvest Food Banks, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, and Ohio Environmental Council are teaming up to urge bold changes to federal agriculture policy.

Their goal is to reform the Federal Farm Bill with a fiscally sound plan to:

Grow America’s agricultural production.
Sustain the basic nutritional needs of the millions of Americans who continue to struggle to put food on the table during the Great Recession.
Nurture America’s emerging sector of organic and sustainable agriculture producers.
Conserve America’s precious soil and water resources.

The U.S. Farm Bill is an outgrowth of the 1930s Dust Bowl and Great Depression. The Farm Bill originally was designed to accomplish three goals:

[Read more…]

2013 version of 1980s ‘welfare queen’ is apparently ‘food stamp guy’ who bought crab legs in Texas

Ohio Senators: Brown, a ‘yea,’ Portman, a ‘nay’

NFU supportive, process moves to a dysfunctional House

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