Majority News
Chairman Roberts Welcomes Senator Hyde-Smith to Ag Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today welcomed the Committee's newest member, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith from Mississippi. "I'm delighted we have another farmer on the Senate Agriculture Committee. I look forward to working with Senator Hyde-Smith as we continue to write the Farm Bill," said Chairman Roberts. "Her firsthand agriculture knowledge and boots-on-the-ground experience are a welcome addition … Continue Reading
04.24.18
On One-Year Anniversary, Chairman Roberts Hears Secretary Perdue’s ‘State of Rural America’ Update
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today held a hearing titled, "The State of Rural America." "Producers in Kansas and all across the country are going through a rough patch in the agricultural economy," Chairman Roberts said. "Over the past five years, prices for many of our major commodities have dropped by over 40 percent. As a result, net farm income is expected to decline by 52 percent." "The … Continue Reading
04.16.18
Roberts, Stabenow Announce ‘State of Rural America’ Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today announced the Committee will hold a hearing titled, "The State of Rural America." Who: The Honorable Sonny Perdue, Secretary, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.Date: Tuesday, April 24, 2018Time: 10:00 a.m.Place: 328A Russell Senate Office Building ***Please note: Press bringing audio/video equipment shou… Continue Reading
04.13.18
Chairman Roberts: “Farmers Want Trade Over Aid”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, appeared on PBS NewsHour to talk about agriculture trade and his meeting with President Trump. Click here to watch the clip. From his post as both Chairman of the Agriculture Committee and as a senior member of the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction on trade, Roberts has long been outspoken on the benefits of increased access to foreign markets for American fa… Continue Reading
04.12.18
Senate Ag Leaders Commit to Bipartisan Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today released the following statement after the House Agriculture Committee released its version of the 2018 Farm Bill. "We continue to be committed to working on a Farm Bill for all farmers and families. With low commodity prices, worsening conditions in farm country, and unmet needs in communities across the country, we need to get this F… Continue Reading
04.05.18
Chairman Roberts Keynotes CFTC Conference
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today keynoted the Protecting America's Agricultural Markets: An Agricultural Commodity Futures Conference. The conference was jointly hosted by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Center for Risk Management Education and Research at Kansas State University. "The Committee has held nearly 30 hearings and business meetings, including a recent … Continue Reading
03.23.18
Roberts Announces Agriculture, Forestry Provisions in Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today is pleased to announce the inclusion of several key provisions beneficial to agriculture in the FY 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which extends government funding through Sept. 30. The bill passed the Senate on a 65-32 vote and is awaiting the President's signature. "I'm pleased that Congress reached a bipartisan deal to fund the federal government through the end of the… Continue Reading
03.12.18
Red Tape Officially Cut on Devastating Organic Livestock, Poultry Regulations
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today praised the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement of a finalized rule that withdraws a controversial regulation that would have revised organic livestock and poultry production standards. The withdrawal is effective May 13, 2018. "It's official - the Obama Administration rule that would have jeopardized the livelihood of organic livestock and poultr… Continue Reading
03.07.18
Chairman Roberts Honored with Child Nutrition Lifetime Achievement Award
WASHINGTON, D.C. - For his decades of work to ensure child nutrition and fight global hunger, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today was presented the 2018 Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award by the Global Child Nutrition Foundation. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant impacts to end childhood hunger. Click here to read Chairman Roberts' remarks as prepared for delivery. "Feeding a troubled and h… Continue Reading
03.05.18
Senate Ag Committee Leaders Urge Swift Implementation of Disaster Aid, Farm Safety Net Improvements
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., encouraged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement agricultural provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act in a timely, transparent, and producer-friendly way. "In order to help agriculture producers recover from recent disasters, Secretary Perdue and the Agriculture Department now have additional tools and responsibiliti… Continue Reading
02.27.18
Chairman Roberts Announces Full Senate Confirmation of Bill Northey
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today is pleased to announce that William Northey was approved by the U.S. Senate. Upon swearing in, William Northey, of Iowa, will serve as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). "I'm pleased the Senate advanced Mr. Northey's nomination. I have no doubt he will be a champion fo… Continue Reading
02.15.18
Chairman Roberts Hears Cryptocurrency Update from CFTC Chairman Giancarlo
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) titled, "State of the CFTC: Examining Pending Rules, Cryptocurrency Regulation, and Cross-Border Agreements." During the hearing, Roberts examined the CFTC's regulation of cryptocurrencies and received an update regarding current equivalency agreements between the CFTC and Euro… Continue Reading
02.13.18
Chairman Roberts Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Farmers & Ranchers from Onerous Reporting Requirement
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., today co-sponsored bipartisan legislation introduced by new Committee member Deb Fischer, R-Neb. The Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act would exempt air emissions from animal waste from being subject to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) reporting requirements. Click here to read the legislation. "I've heard from Kansas farmers… Continue Reading
02.12.18
Ag Chairmen React to Administration’s FY2019 Budget Proposal
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following the release of the Trump administration's FY 2019 budget proposal, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, issued the joint statement below: "As Chairmen of the Agriculture Committees, the task at hand is to produce a Farm Bill for the benefit of our farmers, ranchers, consumers and other stakeholders. This budget, as with every other president's budget before, will not prevent … Continue Reading
02.08.18
Wheat Growers Present Chairman Roberts, Ag Staff with Awards
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and key members of his staff, today received awards for their outstanding support to wheat growers from the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers (KAWG). "Our wheat growers are what make Kansas the breadbasket of America, and I'm honored to receive their Wheat Advocate Award," said Chairman Roberts. "The advice and boo… Continue Reading
01.31.18
Chairman Roberts: WOTUS Delay Gives Time to Listen to Rural America
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A stern opponent of Obama-era burdensome regulations, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) have postponed the applicability date of the notorious Waters of the United States (WOTUS) final rule by two years. "The Obama Administration's infamous 'WOTUS' rule, which burdened rural America with regulato… Continue Reading
01.31.18
Senate Ag Committee Leaders Request Info from CFTC on Bitcoin Oversight
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan. and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. wrote a letter to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo to seek information about the Commission's oversight of the emerging cryptocurrency bitcoin futures and options. "American taxpayers deserve strong safeguards against fraud, manipulation, and abusive practices in the futures and options… Continue Reading
01.29.18
Roberts, Stabenow Announce CFTC Oversight Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today announced the Committee will hold a hearing titled, "State of the CFTC: Examining Pending Rules, Cryptocurrency Regulation, and Cross-Border Agreements." Who: The Honorable J. Christopher Giancarlo, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman, Washington, D.C. Date: Thursday, February 15, 2018 Time: 9:30 a.m. Place: … Continue Reading
01.09.18
Roberts, Stabenow Support CFTC’s Efforts to Uphold European Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., sent a letter of support to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo for his commitment to honor mutually recognized equivalency agreements regarding cross-border clearinghouses. Prior to the United Kingdom's 2016 referendum to leave the European Union ("Brexit"), the CFTC and the European Commission… Continue Reading
01.08.18
President Trump Pledges to Work with Chairman Roberts for an On-Time Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - After multiple meetings with President Donald J. Trump on issues of importance to rural America, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today joined the President onstage at the American Farm Bureau's 99th annual convention in Nashville, Tenn. An issue continually championed by Chairman Roberts, President Trump made his first public statement in support of crop insurance. "Here today is Senate Agricult… Continue Reading
