Agriculture

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Republican Leader of the Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee, applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) announcement of two new reports to enhance price discovery under mandatory price reporting for cattle.

In Congress, hardly anything is perfect. But just because it’s not perfect, doesn’t mean there’s not progress.

This past week we made progress for South Dakota.

The first comes following the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) decision to walk back plans to change the city status of Rapid City.

In January, OMB began toying with the idea to increase the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) qualification from 50,000 to 100,000 people. This set off the alarm bells in smaller cities across the country, including ours.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Veterinary Medicine Caucus, Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced the Healthy Dog Importation Act of 2021. This bipartisan plan would ensure dogs imported into the United States are not at risk of spreading dangerous diseases that could harm Americans and our animals.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the co-chairs of the bipartisan House Biofuels Caucus—Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02), Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03), Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13), Rep. Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), and Rep. Adrian Smith (NE-03)—released the following statement after the Supreme Court weakened the RFS at the expense of family farmers and biofuels producers in rural America in HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC v. Renewable Fuels Association: 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) today introduced the Butcher Block Act, a bipartisan bill to rebalance the cattle market by easing regulatory barriers and offering U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) meat processing grants for small processors looking to expand or add shackle space.

On Monday, I sat down with the South Dakota Corn & South Dakota Soybean Associations in Valley Springs. For over an hour, I heard directly from producers on concerns they have, the challenges of the last four years, as well as the emerging opportunities. From workforce to trade to farm programs, there was a common goal amongst both groups: greater predictability. 

VALLEY SPRINGS, S.D. (KELO) — Infrastructure, carbon, trade, taxes and the dry farming season were among the many topics discussed Monday between members of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association and South Dakota Soybean Association when they met with U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson at a farm near Valley Springs.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D) today led several of their colleagues in urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to continue the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into the nation’s four biggest meatpackers. Thune and Johnson’s bicameral letter also requested that DOJ provide Congress with updates on its investigation and encouraged ongoing vigilance on this issue.

Washington, D.C. – This week Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Ron Kind (D-WI), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and Jim Costa (D-CA) led more than 70 of their colleagues in requesting U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to urge Vietnam to eliminate tariffs on U.S. pork to improve market access for local producers.

Members of the House Biofuels Caucus, led by Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., on April 8 sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the agency to prioritize the Renewable Fuel Standard and the use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel.

Washington, D.C. – Today members of the Biofuels Caucus, led by Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD), urged Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Secretary Regan to meet with the bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss prioritizing the Renewable Fuel Standard and higher ethanol and biodiesel blends in consultation with agricultural stakeholders. According to recent reports, biofuels or corn ethanol produce greenhouse gas emissions at a significantly lower rate than gasoline.

“I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.” -Teddy Roosevelt

Historically, the Black Hills National Forest has flourished by serving many purposes. From camping to grazing, hiking to timber production, mining and wildlife habitat, the Black Hills have balanced economic, conservation, and recreational interests for decades.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairmen Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Steve Daines (R-MT) of the Congressional & Senate Western Caucuses led 12 Senate Members and 50 House Members of the respective Caucuses, including Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) in sending a letter to President Biden asking important clarifying questions about the Biden Administration’s Executive Order establishing a directive to put restrictions on at least 30% of lands and waters by 2030 (30 by 30). 

Washington, D.C. – Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD) today along with 100 of his colleagues, led a bipartisan group of Members in a letter to Michael A. Khouri, Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission, voicing concern over reports that certain vessel-operating common carriers (VOCCs) are declining to ship U.S. agricultural commodity exports from U.S. ports.

VOCCs serve as an integral link between American producers and overseas customers, without which contracts cannot be met and the ability to compete in or even access foreign markets is threatened.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep.

Currently, under the Federal Crop Insurance Program, producers unable to plant a crop due to adverse weather conditions are eligible to receive a small indemnity but prohibited from growing a cash commodity due to a missed window in the growing season. A new bipartisan, bicameral bill - the Feed Emergency Enhancement During Disasters with Cover Crops Act (FEEDD Act) -- would create a clear emergency waiver authority for USDA to allow producers to graze, hay or chop a cover crop before November 1st in the event of a feed shortage due to excessive moisture, flood, or drought.

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Angie Craig (D-MN) led Co-Chairs of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus in introducing bipartisan legislation to ensure transparency and predictability to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) small refinery exemption (SRE) process.

(WASHINGTON, DC) February 6, 2021— For the fifth Congressional cycle, there will be a Veterinary Medicine Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Veterinarians bring a unique perspective to federal legislation as the only health professionals with roles that benefit both animal and human health. The caucus will focus on educating members of Congress and their staffs about the issues and challenges the veterinary profession faces. 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced the Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act. This legislation will allow state inspected meat to be sold across state lines through e-commerce, allowing small producers and processors more options to directly market to consumers.

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the PRICE Act, a bill that provides greater price reporting and transparency, comprehensive risk management solutions, bolsters small processor and producer-owned cooperative processing opportunities, and updates the Packer and Stockyards Act to create a cattle contract library.

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the PRICE Act, a bill that will increase transparency in the cattle market, improve risk management, and support new and expanding meat processors. Earlier this year, the U.S.

PRICE Act Section by Section .PDF

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) made a statement following President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide $14 billion for agriculture producers still struggling from COVID-19 supply chain disruption. The second round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will begin September 21 and run through December 11, 2020.