TEXAS FARM BUREAU for TEXAS FARM BUREAU
What was lobbied
11 issue areas, each in the filer's own words, with who lobbied on it and where.
Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD
TFB supports increased access to foreign markets for agricultural products through international trade. TFB supports the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and updates to the agreement that would provide progress. TFB opposes any major changes to NAFTA that could negatively impact the U.S. agricultural trade relationships with Mexico and Canada.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| REGAN BECK | — |
Agriculture AGR
TFB supports a 2018 Farm Bill providing adequate crop insurance for all major commodities and other programs benefiting agriculture production. TFB opposes further cuts to the federal crop insurance program or to Title I commodity programs. TFB supports including cotton in Title I of the Farm Bill. TFB urged Congressional leaders to take swift action on the cattle fever tick issue facing ranchers and landowners in the southern region of Texas. TFB advocated for additional funding to help provide adequate resources to combat the problems TFB members are facing due to the fever tick. TFB urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) to take more action to control the fever tick on the FWS controlled Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| REGAN BECK | — |
| BILLY HOWE | — |
Transportation TRA
TFB supports and urged Congressional leaders to co-sponsor H.R. 3282, the ELD Extension Act of 2017, introduced by Rep. Brian Babin. This legislation would provide for an additional two year delay before a mandatory implementation of Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) on all American freight trucks. Under current law and regulation, the burdensome mandate would go into effect December 18, 2017.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| REGAN BECK | — |
| BILLY HOWE | — |
Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX
TFB supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, recently signed into law. TFB believes in fair and equitable tax reform that would lower the effective tax rates. TFB believes a full repeal of burdensome estate taxes while keeping the stepped-up basis is paramount to any tax reform package. TFB advocated for tax reform that will reduce capital gains taxes, provide immediate expensing of business inputs and keep the deduction for interest expense. TFB also supports the continuation of cash accounting and like-kind exchanges.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| REGAN BECK | — |
| BILLY HOWE | — |
Budget/Appropriations BUD
TFB opposed budget reductions for agriculture. TFB corresponded with House and Senate Appropriators requesting adequate funding for agriculture. TFB also supports including the classification of cotton under Title I commodities in any appropriations/spending measure passed by Congress.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| REGAN BECK | — |
Environment/Superfund ENV
TFB supported H.R. 5, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 to solve the problem of overreaching, ill-considered government regulations that negatively impact farmers and ranchers. TFB advocated for the legislation which requires agencies to choose the lowest-cost rulemaking alternative that meets statutory objectives and requires greater opportunity for public input and vetting of critical information for rules passed by agencies. TFB supported an amendment by Rep. Collin Peterson to prohibit agencies from impartially communicating with the public in order to generate support or opposition to a proposed rule. TFB supports the passage and enactment of H.R. 953, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017, and S. 340, the Sensible Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) which would clarify Congressional intent regarding regulation of the use of pesticides in or near navigable waters. TFB corresponded with Members of Congress to express support for reducing duplicative and needless regulations on pesticide applicators used by agricultural producers.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| BILLY HOWE | — |
Government Issues GOV
TFB supports H.R. 5226, the Regulatory Integrity Act of 2017 which would provide much needed transparency in the rulemaking process used by federal agencies. It would require agencies to post basic information, beyond what is provided in the Federal Register, about communications on pending regulatory actions and prevent agencies from soliciting support for a proposed regulation.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
Immigration IMM
TFB supported Chairman Bob Goodlattes Agriculture Guestworker Act of 2017, which would create a new agricultural guest worker program for farmers and ranchers. Agriculture operations are very labor intensive, and a domestic work-force willing to fulfill the workload is not available. Agriculture producers are often required to hire foreign workers to complete these tasks. Without adequate procedures in place for producers to secure workers in a timely manner, producers are at risk of losing perishable crops. Texas Farm Bureau is seeking comprehensive reform to US immigration and border security.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| REGAN BECK | — |
| BILLY HOWE | — |
Fuel/Gas/Oil FUE
TFB opposes H.R. 5180, the Food and Fuel Consumer Protection Act of 2016. H.R. 5180 would amend the Clean Air Act by revising the renewable fuel program, which requires transportation fuel to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuel. The legislation would require the EPA to cap the total volume of ethanol blended into the transportation fuel supply at 9.7 percent of projected gasoline demand as determined by the Energy Information Administration. TFB works to make sure similar legislation isnt introduced in 2017, as it discourages the production of renewable energy and crops used to produce renewable fuels
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| REGAN BECK | — |
| BILLY HOWE | — |
Real Estate/Land Use/Conservation RES
TFB supported the passage and enactment of H.R. 428/S. 90, the Red River Gradient Boundary Survey Act which seeks to address the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements (BLM) ownership claims to a 116- mile stretch of property along the Red River region of Texas and Oklahoma. TFB has expressed longstanding concerns about the BLMs claim to property that landowners have held titles to, managed and paid taxes on for generations in many cases.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
| REGAN BECK | — |
| BILLY HOWE | — |
Disaster Planning/Emergencies DIS
TFB supported the disaster funding legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide more resources for Texas and Florida hurricane recovery efforts. The legislation also includes a seed cotton provision important to TFB members. TFB supports this provision and urges passage in the Senate.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LARAMIE ADAMS | — |
Shown as published by the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Clerk under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The official filing is the record; open it for the full form.