Communicating with Congress and other groups in Washington is vital to the advocacy work that Edge does on behalf of our farmer members. In pre-COVID times, we would travel to Washington several times a year to meet with folks and build relationships. Unfortunately, that has proven increasingly difficult the past 18 months. With the combination of health protocols and the restrictions that followed the events on Jan. 6 at the Capitol, it has been nearly impossible to arrange meetings on the Hill. 

 

Fortunately, that is beginning to change. My colleague John Holevoet and I recently traveled to D.C. to attend the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) government affairs committee meeting. During the trip, John and I set aside extra time to go to the Hill and meet face to face with many individuals we had previously met only virtually. Congress was out of session, but we had very productive meetings with staff. 

 

We first met with key Senate offices that are negotiating the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which has already passed the House. That bill would give legal status to our current workforce and allow for year-round H-2A visas, which are currently restricted to seasonal workers. Unfortunately, the bill caps the year-round H-2As at a very low number, and we would like to see that cap lifted during the Senate negotiations. During our meetings, it was made clear that lifting that cap was also a priority for the Senate. The fate of the whole bill, though, is still unknown. The debate over the $1.75 trillion “soft” infrastructure bill, or the Build Back Better plan, has soured bipartisan relations, and whether they can be patched back up before the 2022 elections to pass meaningful legislation — like the Farm Workforce Modernization Act — is yet to be seen. 

 

We continued meetings on the House side, catching up with some of the offices we regularly meet with, discussing concerns like dairy labeling, trade and the upcoming farm bill. Because of Edge’s growing membership, we also made new connections. Our footprint now spans into Kansas, so we had the opportunity to sit down with a new congressional member’s staff and discuss how we can work together to help dairy farmers in the district and beyond. 

 

The NCFC government affairs committee meeting agenda was packed with industry experts. The general messages: supply chains will continue to be mangled well into 2022, the vaccine mandate’s future is dependent on the courts, and the worker shortage will continue unless action is taken. 

 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the infrastructure bills, as they’re the talk of the town in D.C. and the countryside. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law by President Biden on Nov. 15. The law addresses typical issues that Americans call to mind when they think about infrastructure — roads, bridges, ports, broadband, etc. Livestock also secured a big win with the inclusion of a provision that exempts livestock haulers from hours-of-service rules within 150 air-miles of their origin and destination. Together, these upgrades to our infrastructure system will ensure that American agriculture stays internationally competitive.

 

The second infrastructure bill that folks have been talking about is the Build Back Better plan, which passed the House of Representatives late last month. Plenty of uncertainty remains as the bill heads to the Senate. After ensuring that the bill would not be paid for through the elimination of stepped-up basis and a change in the death tax, there are still a few provisions that Edge is watching closely. Currently, the climate provisions relating to agriculture in the bill are voluntary, which remains an important aspect of Edge’s environmental policy and would include a $25/acre payment for cover crops on up to 1,000 acres. The bill also includes immigration language that would grant some foreign nations a temporary parole status that would include five-year work and travel permits but not permanent residency. 

 

There are challenges ahead, but with the Hill beginning to open up and Edge’s growing, active membership, we are excited have a seat at the table to help advance policies that help our dairy farmers.