NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL for NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL

Agriculture AGR

Contacts with USDA regarding government shutdown procedures and solution to restart the operation of the marketing loan. Submitted comments urging approval of the draft EIS for the Caldwell Canyon Mine. Letter to Rep. Austin Scott, along with other organizations, expressing support for his amendments to increase funding for H.R. 268, the Supplemental Appropriations Act (disaster aid), and urging adoption of this legislation as soon as possible. Letter to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, along with several agricultural organizations, strongly urging them to reject calls for additional cuts to policies within the jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry or the House Committee on Agriculture Letter to Chairman Bishop, in conjunction with other organizations, expressing our support for H.R. 268, the Supplemental Appropriations Act (disaster aid), and urging adoption of this legislation as soon as possible. Filed comments with USDA and participated in the agencys listening session for stakeholders to provide comments on issues and priorities for implementation of farm bill programs administered by the Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Continued to engage with the Administration and Congress in the ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations. Continued to engage with the Administration and Congress on the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Joined numerous other agricultural organizations on a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue regarding farm bill implementation and farmer decision aids. Continued to convey the necessity and timeliness of disaster legislation approval to Congress. Joined more than 20 other agricultural organizations, including the American Cotton Shippers Association and AMCOT, on a letter to the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee leadership offering a strong endorsement of Dr. Heath P. Tarbert to be the next chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Along with other cotton industry producer and interest organizations, joined numerous other state, regional, and national organizations on a letter to the House and Senate budget committees leadership urging them to reject calls for additional cuts to policies within the jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry or the House Committee on Agriculture. Joined with more than 40 other agricultural organizations on a letter to President Trump regarding the current trade situation with China; and continued to engage with Administration officials and Congress on the importance of quickly reaching a trade agreement with China that provides structural improvements to market access in China for U.S. cotton and cotton textile products. Joined nearly 60 other industry groups in a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies requesting $445 million in the FY20 budget for USDAs Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. The Pesticide Policy Coalition, of which the NCC is a member, submitted comments to EPA regarding a petition from the Center for Food Safety seeking revisions to testing requirements for pesticides prior to registration. Filed comments with USDA and participated in the agencys listening session for stakeholders to provide comments on issues and priorities for implementation of farm bill export promotion programs administered by the Foreign Agriculture Service. Joined numerous other national and regional agricultural organizations on a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of both the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies requesting full funding for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network for fiscal year 2020. Filed comments with EPA and participated in the comments submitted to EPA from the Pesticide Policy Coalition regarding potential rulemaking on treated seeds; continued to monitor the issue. Joined 62 other agricultural organizations on a letter of support for EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheelers nomination to become EPA Administrator. Joined 37 other organizations belonging to the American Alliance for Innovation (AAI) on a letter to Senators in support of the nomination of Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to serve as EPA Administrator. Joined four other agricultural organizations in submitting comments to USDAs NRCS on the agencys interim final rule on Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation. Joined a large group of national farm and agribusiness organizations on letters to the House and Senate budget committees leadership and to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue opposing cuts to crop insurance during the budget process. Joined two coalitions on letters to Sen. Thune and Reps. Jason Smith and Sanford Bishop that supported their legislation to permanently end the estate tax. Discussions with RMA regarding prevented planting and water use restrictions in Arizona. Discussions with APHIS and EPA officials regarding potential for cotton production in the Florida peninsula. Met with USDA-AMS officials regarding implementation of cotton industry recommendations to improve cotton flow. Met with USDA-FSA officials regarding changes to the operation of the ELS (pima) competitiveness program. Discussions with USDA-FSA officials regarding ability of LSAs to administer seed cotton loans. Met with Food and Drug Administration to continue efforts to resolve concerns for gins and cottonseed storage facilities resulting from the Food Safety Modernization Act implementation. Letter to USDA/APHIS on Pink Bollworm Eradication Program transition recommendations. Signed letter with other agricultural organizations to Senate concerning nominee to the Farm Credit Administration board. Continued to convey to the Administration the need to resolve fumigation requirement in Bangladesh of imported U.S. cotton.

Contacted: State, Dept of (DOS); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); SENATE; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Army, Dept of (Corps of Engineers); White House Office

Bills named: H.R. 268 (116th)