Message From Washington

Meetings This Week

Always great to see so many friendly faces from the First District in D.C! I met with folks from the Disabled American Veterans  to hear about how we can best serve those who have served our country, especially our veterans in southern Minnesota. I also talked with Minnesota Soybean Growers about protecting and strengthening crop insurance as the number one risk management tool for our farmers. 

It was good to see Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz and learn more about the Diploma+ Program that helps ensure high school students are college- and career-ready. I also met with the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency while they were in town. Glad they could make time for a tour of the U.S. Capitol building!

House Ag Committee Update

At Tuesday's House Agriculture Committee hearing titled "Uncertainty, Inflation, Regulations: Challenges for American Agriculture”, I asked industry leaders about the impact of excessive regulations on crop protection tools and the dangerous precedent set by this administration in basing those restrictions on political science, rather than the scientific data from USDA and EPA. 

You can watch my remarks here:

GRAIN DRY Act

This week I was proud to introduce the Growing Rural Ag Infrastructure Needs to Deliver Rising Yields (GRAIN DRY) Act. Currently, propane storage is not considered an eligible facility under the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The GRAIN DRY Act would expand the loan program to include propane storage, a critical tool for drying grain and heating barns, allowing agricultural producers access to the same financing for propane storage that is available for other on-farm storage facilities.

The vast majority of grain dryers run on propane, making it a critical tool for Minnesota farmers. By opening up the FSFL program to include propane storage, we are providing farmers with the ability to stabilize their propane supply, giving them greater flexibility to lock in inputs for a commodity that has historically had supply shortages.

USDA Action on Increased Line Speeds

This Tuesday, I was joined by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in leading a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, urging USDA to immediately issue an extension of the Time-Limited Trial for six pork processing plants in the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS). 

Following the letter, USDA announced today it would be extending the trial for an additional seven months allowing participating plants to operate at increased line speeds until November 30, 2023.

This extension is critical for pork processing facilities like Quality Pork Processors in Austin to continue functioning at full operational capacity. However, the trial period over the past twelve months has clearly demonstrated that increased line speeds are safe and effective, resulting in higher processing capacity and lower consumer costs. I will continue to urge USDA to develop a permanent solution for all pork processing facilities who want to increase their line speeds and help reduce market pressures.

In the News

ABC 6 News: MN representatives teaming up to encourage rural manufacturing

Agri-Pulse: Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: March 3, 2023: Rep. Brad Finstad on upcoming farm bill and its nutrition provisions

As always, it is an honor to serve you in Congress. Please don't hesitate to contact my office if there is anything I can do to assist you. To see more updates on what I’m doing in Washington and across the First District, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.