Agricultural News
Too Early to Speculate on 2018 Elections, But NCBA Says It's Important to Back Ag's Friends in DC
Wed, 20 Dec 2017 14:09:22 CST
The New Year is almost upon us and with it comes the next mid-term elections in Congress. Already, people are beginning to talk about the many different scenarios in which this could all play out. The fact is, whichever way the tides turn politically, will have an impact on how well the agriculture industry will be able to work with Congressional leaders to ensure a positive business climate. However, Colin Woodall of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Washington, D.C. office says it is simply too soon to make speculations.
"It is way too early to determine what is going to happen come November," he said. "There's a lot of things that will factor into that. Neither party right now should be confident. They both are going to have to work hard. When you look at the numbers, the opportunities are there for any scenario to play out. It's something we're going to have to watch very closely."
What are some of those main factors that could potentially swing the vote? Woodall says two things - the President's ability to sign the new tax code into law before the end of the year (a strong possibility at this point), and how quickly people start to see a change in their paycheck. The question there is, will they remember that come November? Woodall also says the sexual harassment issue has and will continue to play a big role in the outcome of the mid-term elections. Depending on how it goes, ultimately, could have a significant impact on NCBA's ability, Congress' ability and the President's ability to pass legislation and continue this trend of deregulation that favors a productive and unhindered agricultural economy. Woodall insists this is why the NCBA's PAC fund is so important, to help back those incumbents and contenders - of either party - in Congress that are friendly to agriculture.
"NCBA PAC is a tremendous tool for us here in Washington, D.C. It allows us to take everything that members donate, dollar for dollar, to do everything we can to try to influence these elections in a way that allows us to have as many friends on Capitol Hill as possible," Woodall said. "We need to make sure we keep them around fighting for us, because we still have a tremendous number of challenges and we need people who are willing to step up and fight. So, stay tuned on this one."
Listen to Colin Woodall of NCBA explain how the outcome of the mid-term elections in Washington could impact the ag industry's legislative efforts, with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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