The U.S. House passed a joint resolution to disapprove the Waters of the United States rule under a Congressional Review Act.  The measure passed the House by a vote of 253-166. The resolution cleared the Senate last November but faces a certain veto by the President since neither body have the votes to override. 

Still, House Agriculture Chair Mike Conaway claimed passing the resolution was a "critical step" to reworking the WOTUS rule. The resolution, if signed by the President, would nullify the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to redefine Waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act. The rule which took effect in August of last year remains on hold by federal courts.


"Today's passage of this resolution is a critical step toward stopping what some believe to be the largest federal land grab in history. From the beginning, the process of developing this rule was flawed by EPA ignoring input from stakeholders, and even other agencies including the Army Corps of Engineers. American's farmers and ranchers deserve to have a government that will review and consider their thoughts," said Chairman Conaway.

Click here for the Floor Statement by Chairman Conaway in support of resolution to disapprove the Waters of the United States rule.

Another attempt to stop the Waters of the U.S. rule has taken place in the House. The House voted and passed S.J. Res. 22, a resolution to disapprove the Waters of the United States rule. The Senate passed a similar measure in November by a vote of 53-44. While the vote doesn't have force of law, it does send a strong message from Congress to the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding WOTUS. National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall said this House vote is a priority issue for NCBA.


"It's very important that the House of Representatives follow the lead of the U.S. Senate by passing this resolution of disapproval," Woodall said. "By doing so, it sends a very clear signal to the President that Congress is not happy with the Waters of the United States rule and that they want to see it go away or be significantly changed. So, I think it's just another step in our continuing effort to try to ultimately kill the Waters of the United States rule."


Woodall said he is thankful the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati judges have issued a temporary nationwide stay preventing implementation of WOTUS in all 50 states. He said reminds cattle producers that the action is temporary.  I featured Woodall on the Beef Buzz feature. Click or tap here to listen to today's Beef Buzz.
 

The impact of the Waters of the U.S. rule is much more substantial than what agricultural producers may realize. American Farm Bureau Senior Director of Regulatory Relations Don Parrish said in the Federal Register the final WOTUS ruled totaled over 80 pages. He said there are things buried in the rule that will be enforced on farmers today, but also future generations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also characterized WOTUS as a generation rule.


"We believe that and unfortunately it's designed in a way just to get tighter and tighter as they implement more and more of this rule as time goes on," Parrish said. 


Parrish said WOTUS is riddled with ways that will catch farmers and will impact how they will farm land for generations to come.   This includes farming practices like plowing. Parrish said with Congress not specifying how deep a farmer can plow, that's going to be interpreted differently across the country. Farmers could also get into trouble in changing farming practices. Generally EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers look at what farmers have been doing in the past. If farmers make changes, like growing different crops, that could change farming practices. Parrish said that's how farmers are going to see WOTUS ratchet up with additional regulations. He said overtime EPA will be able to litigate and enforce regulations farmer by farmer. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be the lead agency on WOTUS, because they will implement this regulation. He said its clear enforcement will take place out in the field.


I caught up with Parrish at the American Farm Bureau Federation's 97th Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida. Click or tap here to listen to the full interview as Parrish talks about how WOTUS goes beyond anything authorized by Congress.

The American Soybean Association (ASA) welcomed the commitment Tuesday night from President Barack Obama to trade and its promise for the American economy. Specifically, ASA looks forward to continuing its cooperation with the administration to advance the Trans-Pacific Partnership as well as further normalization of trade relations with Cuba. ASA President Richard Wilkins, a farmer from Greenwood, Del., issued the following statement after the State of the Union address on Tuesday night:


"The commitment of this administration to trade is something that we have appreciated at every turn, and the President's final State of the Union address this evening shows that course will continue throughout the year.


"We understand that the Trans-Pacific Partnership is going to be a heavy lift this year, but we are excited to continue our press to see it passed by our Congress and ratified. The promise of the TPP for soybean farmers is too great to accept anything less, and we are very encouraged to hear the president continue his focus on the TPP in the year to come.


To read more about the soy benefits from TPP by clicking or tapping here.

More than 1,000 Oklahoma agricultural leaders are expected to attend the annual convention of the American Farmers & Ranchers, Feb. 19-20, at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Norman, Okla.


"We expect a lively and engaged conversation about the issues critical for rural Oklahoma," Terry Detrick, AFR president, said.


State Question 777, Right to Farm, is among the issues expected to draw the most attention. The constitutional amendment is on the general election ballot in November.


"SQ777 will protect family farmers and ranchers from unreasonable government interference and attacks from animal rights groups," Detrick said. "It also protects consumer choice as it will allow us to continue producing a wide variety of nutritious products at an affordable price."


Other issues include risk management, the agriculture economy and leadership. Among the special convention guests are Chandler Goule, Sr. VP of programs for National Farmers Union, Kendall Brashears, executive director, Oklahoma FFA Foundation, Francie Tolle, director, regional Risk Management Agency, John Doak, Oklahoma Insurance commissioner, and Terry Peach, executive director, Oklahoma Farm Service Agency.  Click or tap here for complete details on the 2016 AFR Convention.

More Than 99 Percent of Sampled Food Tested Below Allowable Pesticide Residue Levels


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed again in its annual report that American consumers can focus on the nutritional benefits of conventional and organic produce without concern for pesticide residues. Over 99 percent of fresh and processed food available to consumers tested below allowable pesticide residue levels, as detailed in the 24th Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Report released on January 11, 2016 by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Only .36 percent of the products sampled through the PDP had residues above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established tolerances, giving consumers plentiful options to meet their daily nutritional needs.


"Today's consumers can choose from food produced with a variety of farming methods and necessary crop protection strategies and be confident that it will sustain and enrich their families' lives," stated Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CropLife America (CLA). "Across the nation, our growers continue to use the most advanced crop protection technology available to target specific crop threats. From precision agriculture to integrated pest management, farmers in the heartland, the plains, coastal areas and everywhere in between are pushing forward with the best ways to produce food for their communities and for the country."


PDP researchers tested a total of 10,619 samples of fresh and processed fruit and vegetables (8,582 samples), oats (314 samples), rice (314 samples), infant formula (1,055 samples), and salmon (354 samples). To ensure that the samples were representative of the U.S., researchers collected data in a variety of states throughout different times of the year. The findings support the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, recently released by USDA and the U.S. Department of Health, which encourage consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables.  Click or tap here to read more.