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11/15/12Post Election● At a news conference this week, President Barack Obama expressed optimism about moving comprehensive immigration legislation next year. Notably, in this context, he included foreign agricultural labor as one of the points needing Congressional attention: “I think that the agricultural sector obviously has very specific concerns about making sure they’ve got a workforce that helps deliver food to our tables.” ● Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R/Washington) was elected yesterday, over Tom Price of Georgia, to be conference chairman of the House Republican Conference. This is one of the four top jobs on the GOP’s side of the House of Representatives. In these same leadership elections, Greg Walden (R/Oregon) won the chairmanship of the National Republican... |
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11/07/12The Election● It’s over. President Obama will have four more years to fashion policy and lead the nation. The Senate will remain under the majority leadership of Harry Reid (D/Nevada), while the House of Representatives will continue to be led by Speaker John Boehner (R/Ohio). One change in party leadership that I do expect to happen will be the resignation by Nancy Pelosi (D/California) as House Minority Leader. ● Attention in Washington, D.C., immediately pivots to the short lame-duck session of the 112th Congress, set to start on November 13. With taxation, deficit, and budget issues (the Fiscal Cliff) being of critical importance for members attending this closing session, it is difficult, but not impossible, to foresee a path toward enactment of a new five-year Farm Bill... |
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11/01/12Lincoln● The Organic Trade Association is boosting the idea of a multicommodity federal promotion and research program for organics. While a lengthy process is required by USDA before any such national program is authorized and made operational, the OTA’s initiative—which would require the collection of mandatory assessments on the organic industry—already is opposed by some Pacific Northwest shippers of organic apples. ● Chuck Benbrook, who in national agricultural political circles is well-known as a high-profile policy advocate for organic farming and sustainability, landed in late August at Washington State University. Dr. Benbrook, an agricultural economist, is now an off-campus WSU research faculty member. You may expect many controversial media releases and... |
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10/16/12Are the Apples Rotten?● November 6 will slam shut the door to the political future of many of those now running for office, while others will step lightly across election day’s threshold to new or renewed public service. Some national races of importance to agriculture that I will be watching: Iowa’s 4th, where Representative Steven King (R) faces Christie Vilsack (D), the wife of the current United States secretary of agriculture; the Montana senate race where incumbent Jon Tester (D), the author of a poorly designed amendment to the Food Safety and Modernization Act, struggles with a challenge from Denny Rehberg (R); and, the Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) race in Michigan, where it is likely, but not certain, that the chairwoman of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition... |
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10/12/12Futile and Weak● One of my more enjoyable tasks is serving on the board of advisors to the Center for Produce Safety, which is located at the University of California/Davis. A fellow CPS advisor, Brian Silbermann, president of the Produce Marketing Association, was among those honored this month by the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at UC/Davis with its 2012 Award for Distinction. ● Less honored by UC/Davis was the agricultural college’s dean, Dr. Neal Van Alfen―another fellow CPS supporter—who after serving since 1999 abruptly resigned on August 28 apparently due to conflict with the school’s chancellor. ● Staying on the theme of awards and recognitions, it was announced this month by Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services... |
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09/25/12Jenkins Hill XI● This Sunday I plan to travel across country to attend the Washington Public Policy Conference, an annual event of the United Fresh Produce Association. I imagine that the leaders of United are quite displeased and somewhat deflated over Congress’ adjournment late last week till after the November general election. It had been expected that both the Senate and the House would be in session through the first week of October. Now WPPC’s popular “March on Capitol Hill” visits likely will be with Senate and House staff, rather than the more famous elected members. ● The public comment period has closed for the application by Okanagan Specialty Crops, Inc. for federal deregulation of its genetically engineered non-browning apples. Some... |
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09/17/12Jenkins Hill XThis month, Ellen Terpstra was named the new chief executive officer of the International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council. A good friend of mine since the 1980s, Ellen previously led the United States Apple Association and was a top agricultural trade negotiator at both the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the United States Department of Agriculture. Her new job is located in Washington, D.C. Almost all pending federal legislation, including the Farm Bill, will now be considered by the 112th Congress, if at all, in its postelection session. The reason? In my mind, there are two: 1) a lack of time for floor debate given that members want to be out of town and on the campaign trail, and 2) an absence of decisive legislative given the... |
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08/28/12Apple Anarchy● Four of life’s misfits have been charged in Georgia with murder and other crimes. All army personnel (one from Cashmere, Washington), the four allegedly had formed an anarchist militia group with plans to blow up a dam in Washington State and poison the state’s apple crop. Later, they would overthrow the government and assassinate the president. Setting aside the question of whether any four people would be able to overthrow our national government, it is incredible to me that the entire state’s apple crop could be poisoned. But you can be assured that refreshed attention now will be paid to food defense as called for by the Bioterrorism Act of 2002. ● Last week Russia joined the World Trade Organization, having been the last big national economy... Posted at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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08/16/12Politics● For some reason known only to cheeseheads, Wisconsin has been at the center of a number of national political stories this year, including the attempted recall of its governor by the state employee unions, Representative Paul Ryan’s selection by Mitt Romney as his running mate, and this Tuesday’s Wisconsin state primary election won by Tommy Thompson, former Secretary of Heath and Human Services, to be the Republican party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate seat now held by the retiring Herb Kohl (D). Thompson is a strong candidate and the odds now move toward a Republican pick-up of this seat in the general election. This race will help decide party control of the Senate for the 113th Congress. ● Dennis Cardoza resigned this week from his seat in the... |
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08/09/12Washington State Primary● Tuesday’s primary in Washington clarified who will be running in the general election for the state’s ten House of Representatives seats in the 113th Congress. No surprises, with four incumbent Republicans (Doc Hastings, Dave Reichert, Jaime Herrera Beutler, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers) likely to cruise to reelection this fall. Similarly, the three incumbent Democrats (Jim McDermott, Rick Larsen, and Adam Smith) should each easily win on November 6. Of the three open seats, I see in the 10th District Denny Heck (D) the clear favorite over Dick Muri (R); Derek Kilmer (D) the clear favorite over Bill Driscoll (R) in the 6th District; and a close race between Suzan DelBene (D) and John Koster (R) in the 1st District. Also the state’s U.S. Senate race is... |
