Dear Friend,

It’s great to be back home in Minnesota this week, and I look forward to traveling around the Sixth District visiting with Minnesotans. Yesterday, I spent the day at Farmfest with agricultural leaders from across the state. 

Farmfest is always a great opportunity to talk about the areas of success and concern currently facing our agriculture community. I had a chance to discuss issues like the ongoing drought conditions, ways to improve mental health funding for those in agriculture and rural areas, and the Biden Administration’s planned tax changes to capital gains and stepped up basis and the impact they will have on family farms.

I joined Mark Dorenkamp on Brownfield Ag Radio Network at Farmfest to share my recent work on ag policy. Click here to listen to our conversation.

In order to fund the Administration’s proposed $3.5 trillion spending package, President Biden has signaled his interest in increasing the capital gains tax to 39.6% from the current 23.8% and eliminating stepped-up basis, which applies to the taxation of capital gains at death.

These plans would require taxes be paid on unrealized gains for farmers who pass away. With the vast majority of ag assets tied up in land, buildings, and equipment, we’re hearing from farmers concerned with these proposed tax changes. I’ve weighed in with the Administration about the significant financial impact these changes will have on ag families and those seeking to inherit a family farm. I hope the Biden Administration will recognize the devastating impact this will have on Minnesota’s agriculture community and reconsider their proposal for the sake of our farm families and for the preservation of generational farming.

I joined Joe Gill on KASM Radio live at Farmfest to discuss this issue. Click here to listen to our conversation.

While I was at Farmfest, I had a chance to share my recent work to support our dairy farmers and to ensure that the USMCA agreement remains strong for all farmers, producers, ranchers and Americans who trade with our neighbors.

As many of you know, Stearns County is the largest dairy producing county in the state. Our dairy farmers play a major role in our agriculture community and overall production, which is why we fought hard to ensure these farmers were protected by USMCA against Canada’s unfair dairy practices. We succeeded in eliminating Canada’s Class 7 dairy pricing scheme when USMCA was enacted, which put our dairy farmers in a better position to compete with our neighbors.

However, recently I encouraged United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai to monitor Canada's actions, as it seems they have been bending the rules. I’ll keep fighting to ensure Minnesota’s ag community has the opportunity to thrive as they feed and fuel the world.
 
I have also continued to advocate for mental health resources for our rural ag communities. As a former member of the House Agriculture Committee, I learned firsthand about the need to support our farmers in Congress. I authored the Stemming the Tide of Rural Economic Stress and Suicide (STRESS) Act which reauthorized the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to provide farmers with mental health resources. This effort has resulted in millions of dollars issued for programs to address rural mental health access.

This year, I led a letter to the Appropriations Committee requesting full funding of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network program. Thus far, this funding has passed, and is set to be reauthorized for the full $10 million.

It was great to share the work we are doing to support our farm families, and I was happy to see so many familiar faces at Farmfest. I look forward to seeing many of you again soon. I was particularly excited to get to the Minnesota Corn Growers tent before they ran out of corn ice cream... One of my favorite parts of Farmfest! 

For our farmers who get up to go to work every day in order to supply the food on our tables – thank you. We are grateful for the work you do to feed and fuel the world.

Until next week, if you are in need of assistance or would like to share your thoughts with me, please write me an e-mail here.

To keep up with what we’re doing in Washington, follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more updates!

Sincerely,