Minority News
Ranking Member Stabenow: The Farm Bill is a Jobs Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill. Watch the video below of her full remarks:… Continue Reading
06.13.18
Ranking Member Stabenow: Bipartisan Senate Farm Bill Supports Farmers, Families, and Rural Communities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, today issued the following opening statement during the Committee's meeting to consider and markup the bipartisan Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 - also known as the 2018 Senate Farm Bill. Stabenow's statement, as prepared for delivery, follows: Mr. Chairman, it is a pleasure to work with you as partners in this Committee. From the start of this process, you an… Continue Reading
06.08.18
As Promised, Senate Agriculture Committee Leaders Find Common Ground in Bipartisan Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today released the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The Committee will meet to consider the legislation at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on June 13. Click here to watch live. "When Ranking Member Stabenow and I started this journey in Manhattan, Kansas, last year, we made a commitment to make tough choices and produce a good, bipartisan Farm Bill" said Chairman Roberts. "… Continue Reading
05.10.18
Stabenow, Roberts Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Farmer Veterans
WASHINGTON - Today, leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow and Chairman Pat Roberts, introduced new legislation that expands support for military veterans in agriculture. The Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018 makes all new veterans eligible for support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill also improves access for farmer veterans across eight existing initiatives to make risk management tools more afford… Continue Reading
04.24.18
Ranking Member Stabenow Opening Statement at Hearing on the State of Rural America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, today released the following opening statement - as prepared for delivery - at the hearing titled "The State of Rural America" featuring Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Stabenow's statement, as prepared for delivery, follows: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First, I'd like to welcome Senator Hyde-Smith to our Committee. Senator Cochran left big shoes to fill-howeve… Continue Reading
04.18.18
Ranking Member Stabenow Statement on House Agriculture Committee Passage of Partisan Farm Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the following statement regarding the House Agriculture Committee passage of H.R. 2 - Agriculture & Nutrition Act of 2018: "In 2014, we were successful in passing a landmark Farm Bill because we had a broad, bipartisan coalition including farmers, conservationists, nutrition and local food advocates, rural communities and others working tog… Continue Reading
04.17.18
Ag Committee Senators Call for National Security Review of Brazilian Acquisition of U.S. Beef Company
WASHINGTON -Today, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), joined Agriculture Committee members U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) to urge the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review the proposed purchase of National Beef Packing Co. by a Brazilian meat company. "The security, safety, and resiliency of our food system is integral to the overall s… Continue Reading
04.03.18
Senator Stabenow Applauds Progress to Provide Relief for Dairy Farmers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement allowing dairy farmers to sign up for much-needed support through the new-and-improved Margin Protection Program. Stabenow secured the new assistance for dairy farmers in the recent Bipartisan Budget Act, which offers retroactive coverage to the beginning of the year. The recent improvemen… Continue Reading
03.22.18
Ranking Member Stabenow Applauds Rural Investments, Forestry Package in Omnibus
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced the Fiscal Year 2018 budget bill will include new investments for rural communities and a long-awaited forestry package that fixes the U.S. Forest Service budget. "This bipartisan budget bill includes new investments in our small towns and rural communities in Michigan and across the country," said Senator Stabenow. "These investments will expa… Continue Reading
03.08.18
Ranking Member Stabenow Statement on USDA Inspector General Report on Forest Service Misconduct
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry issued the following statement in response to a new interim report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General, which includes recommendations to improve the process for investigating sexual harassment and misconduct complaints within the U.S. Forest Service. This report was released a day after the resignation of the U.S. … Continue Reading
02.28.18
Stabenow, Grassley Press USDA on Farm Payments to Deceased Farmers
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and senior Agriculture Committee member U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) raised concerns with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) regarding farm program payments that are made to the estates of deceased farmers. "We must be careful stewards of taxpayer money and work to avoid wasteful payments," said the Senators. "As we prepare to wri… Continue Reading
02.27.18
Ranking Member Stabenow Statement on Northey Confirmation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate confirmation of Bill Northey to serve as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. "While his confirmation is long overdue, I am pleased that Mr. Northey can finally serve our farmers and ranchers at USDA. I strongly supported Mr. Northey's nomination and I look fo… Continue Reading
02.15.18
Ranking Member Stabenow Opening Statement at Hearing on the State of the CFTC
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, today released the following opening statement - as prepared for delivery - at the hearing entitled "State of the CFTC: Examining Pending Rules, Cryptocurrency Regulation, and Cross-Border Agreements." Stabenow's statement, as prepared for delivery, follows: Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this very important hearing. I'd like to welcome our newes… Continue Reading
02.14.18
Senator Stabenow Hosts Michigan Veteran to Share Perspective on the Importance of the Farmer Veterans Programs in the Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today hosted Nick Babcock, President of the Farmer Veteran Coalition of Michigan, to share his story as a farmer veteran and discuss the importance of incentives in the Farm Bill with Senators and leaders of the veteran community. Babcock was one of seven veteran leaders from across the country that participated in the discussion hosted by Senators. "Our veterans put their lives on the line to serve our country and shouldn't stand at the ba… Continue Reading
02.12.18
Ranking Member Stabenow Statement on Trump Administration Budget Cuts to Agriculture and Rural America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry released the following statement in response to the Trump administration's fiscal year 2019 budget request. The proposal cuts the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by 16 percent, on top of cutting Farm Bill investments by $260 billion - a $30 billion increase in Farm Bill cuts from the previous year's proposal. "The Trump Administration's budget proposal… Continue Reading
02.08.18
Stabenow: Senate Reaches Bipartisan Deal to Improve Dairy Safety Net
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced the U.S. Senate has reached a deal to provide immediate support for dairy producers. The bipartisan Senate budget agreement will provide over $1 billion to support dairy farmers. The deal will also return cotton to the commodity safety net and strengthen disaster assistance for livestock and specialty crop producers. "This is the support that d… Continue Reading
02.07.18
Stabenow Echoes Bipartisan Call to Confirm Northey
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today joined Senate colleagues on the floor to call for the immediate confirmation of Bill Northey, the nominee to serve as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. The Senate Agriculture Committee reported his nomination to the floor on October 19 with unanimous bipartisan support. For over three months, Northey's nomination … Continue Reading
12.21.17
Ag Committee Democrats Seek Information on Senior Career Employee Reassignments at USDA
WASHINGTON - Today, the ten Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry wrote a letter to Stephen Vaden, the Trump administration's nominee for General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to seek more information regarding the reassignments of several high-level career employees at USDA. Since January 20, USDA has reassigned at least a dozen Senior Executive Service (SES) employees. Recently, questions were raised to the Senate Agr… Continue Reading
12.20.17
Senators Press U.S. Forest Service on Greater Sage-Grouse Review
WASHINGTON - Today, 13 Senators wrote a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke to request information about the agency's role in the Trump Administration's review of 2015 plans to protect the imperiled greater sage-grouse. In a Federal Register notice last month, the U.S. Forest Service signaled that the agency may be seeking potential changes to the 2015 plans. Because modifying the plans could have a significant economic impact on rural communities, the Senators asked for details on … Continue Reading
12.13.17
Ranking Member Stabenow Opening Statement at Hearing on Agricultural Security
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, today released the following opening statement - as prepared for delivery - at the hearing entitled "Safeguarding American Agriculture in a Globalized World." Stabenow's statement follows: Thank you Mr. Chairman for holding such an important hearing. I know you have long been a champion for a strong agro-defense system, and we are all grateful for your vigilance. I… Continue Reading
