Minority News

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the below statement following Senate confirmation of Sharon Bowen as Commissioner for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Bowen, the first African American woman to be appointed commissioner to the CFTC, will play a...

Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today responded to USDA’s decision to provide schools greater flexibility in meeting guidelines on whole grains in school meals....

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the below statement following the markup of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee’s 2015 spending bill. “I am strongly opposed to the effort in the House agriculture appropriations bill to gut...

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said the latest technologies like high frequency and other forms of automated trading have created new sets of challenges, and oversight of the derivatives markets must evolve with technology to ensure markets are working right....

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said the 2014 Farm Bill, which was signed into law in February, is a critical jobs bill that touches all Americans, and its swift and efficient implementation is essential to creating jobs, supporting the 16 million Americans...

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said that advanced, non-food based biofuels are critical to growing our economy, creating jobs and lowering prices at the pump for American consumers. Stabenow noted the 2014 Farm Bill, which was signed into law in February,...

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the below statement following the unveiling of the Norman Borlaug statue in the U.S. Capitol. Borlaug, whose statue will represent the state of Iowa in Statuary Hall, was one of the world’s leading agricultural...

Senators Kay Hagan (NC) and Debbie Stabenow (MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, urged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to approve disaster assistance for small pork producers affected by a deadly virus that is hitting pig farms across the country. The Porcine Endemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) has...

Good morning. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will now come to order.   We’re meeting this morning to consider the nomination of Timothy Massad to be the next Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as well as the nominations of Sharon Bowen and Christopher Giancarlo to be Commissioners at the...

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee, today announced the introduction of a resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act, which established the Cooperative Extension System, helping to...

President Obama signed the new bipartisan 2014 Farm Bill into law on February 7, marking a new direction in American agriculture policy. The Farm Bill is a rare example of Congress working together to pass a major bipartisan jobs bill, and legislation that reduces the deficit by tens of billions of...

East Lansing, MI – President Barack Obama today signed into law the bipartisan 2014 Farm Bill at a special signing ceremony on Michigan State University’s campus.  The president joined Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the farm bill’s lead Senate author and Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and...

The U.S. Senate today voted overwhelmingly to approve the bipartisan Farm Bill coauthored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, by a vote of 68-32. The bill represents rare bipartisan agreement on legislation that would boost a major sector of the U.S. economy and create jobs...

In an op-ed in the Huffington Post, Senator Stabenow said of the bipartisan 2014 Farm Bill today: “The bill marks a major step in changing the paradigm in American agriculture policy…” “The new Farm Bill ends indefensible government subsidies like direct payments, which pay farmers every year whether they need it or...

The U.S. Senate cleared a procedural hurdle today and voted to proceed to consideration of the 2014 Farm Bill, paving the way for a final vote on the measure tomorrow. Cloture was invoked with strong bipartisan support of 72-22. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and...

For more information on the Farm Bill’s savings in food assistance, click here. Bob Greenstein, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “Congress did not intend for states to stretch the benefit rules this way and longstanding [food stamp] supporters like myself find it difficult to defend… It’s difficult to defend the...

In 2011, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees set a goal of cutting $23 billion from agriculture programs. This Farm Bill ensures that, including sequester, the bill yields a total of $23 billion in cuts to program spending, meeting the committees’ deficit reduction goal. Farm Bill Savings The Farm Bill achieves major reform by ending...

American Farm Bureau Federation National Farmers Union Union of Concerned Scientists Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Ducks Unlimited National Rifle Association National Wildlife Federation Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Humane Society of the United States AARP The Nature Conservancy World Wildlife Fund Pheasants Forever Audubon...

Agriculture represents a bright spot in the U.S. economy and is underpinning the nation’s economic recovery. Passing a five-year Farm Bill creates the certainty needed for farmers, ranchers and businessesthroughout a sector critical toour entire economy. American agriculture supports 16 million American jobs. Agriculture is one of the only...

“This farm bill would be one of the strongest ever for conservation and forestry”"Farm bill conservation programs ... encourage practices that lead to healthier lands and waters, and they are critical to a strong economy, healthy and productive rural lands, and vibrant communities"“The new farm bill has several important provisions to advance...