Driving Growth
BIG Update
Dr. Julie Callahan, the Chief Agriculture Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), joined me and my colleagues for a discussion on how strong agriculture trade is vital to our country.
We all spoke about the need to continue developing strong trade agreements and our desire to keep USMCA strong. Together, the USMCA and NAFTA trade agreements are the most successful of all time. As our countries evaluate USMCA in hopes to renew the agreement, we hope to improve U.S. dairy producers’ access to Canadian markets and increase Mexico’s purchases of U.S. grain.
Dr. Callahan is also focused on ensuring American producers don’t face unfair trade practices by foreign countries for using terms like parmesan, chateau, and bologna on their products. I’m leading the SAFETY Act, which is included in the Farm Bill, to make sure American ag products have fair access in global markets.
BIG Idea
South Dakota Auto Dealers Association held their annual convention this week in Sioux Falls. It was an honor to join to talk about our shared values in the automotive and transportation industries. We agree – the free market should decide what types of cars are sold – not the federal government. That’s why I worked to eliminate Biden-era rules that would have mandated all new vehicles to be electric by 2032.
I’m also leading an effort to allow states to use funds from unused federal electric vehicle programs for other highway and infrastructure projects like improving roads and bridges. South Dakota has $29 million that cannot be spent on other priority infrastructure needs. My bill would ensure states can use these funds for their most important projects, instead of fulfilling a political agenda.
BIG News
This week, I cosponsored an amendment that will allow E15 to be sold year-round. This is something corn growers have been wanting for years, which will give them a larger market for their grain. Year-round E15 will also boost domestic energy production and energy supply, helping drive down gas prices for consumers.
I’ve been working to get this policy signed into law for some time and I’m hopeful this amendment will be added to the Farm Bill, which the House plans to vote on next week.