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Senate Republicans late on July 27 unveiled their $1 trillion plan for the fourth phase of federal COVID-19 economic relief legislation, which was presented as a package of multiple bills. Collectively known as the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools (HEALS) Act, the proposal would include COVID-19 legal liability protection for employers, another round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loans, and direct aid to farmers and ranchers.  Enhanced unemployment benefits created in the March CARES Act expire this week for approximately 30 million ... Read More

This is supplementary information to the Aug. 9, 2019, NGFA Newsletter article "AAFCO workshop addresses FSMA implementation." Additional issues addressed during the AAFCO meeting included: Feed Ingredients: The AAFCO membership voted to approve establishing in the AAFCO Official Publication a new tentative definition(s) for T3.1 Suncured Alfalfa Meal, or Pellets, or Ground Alfalfa Hay: T3.1 Suncured Alfalfa Meal, or Pellets, or Ground Alfalfa Hay is the aerial portion of the alfalfa plant, reasonably free of other crop plants, weeds, and mold, which ... Read More

The NGFA on July 25 presented perspectives on the current rail environment and its top rail policy concerns during a Railroad Shippers’ Roundtable discussion with members of a key House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee subcommittee. NGFA was invited by Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., and was the sole agricultural representative on the eight-member roundtable panel, which also included representatives from the forest and paper products, scrap metal, National Industrial Transportation League, American Chemistry Council, chemical and electric power sectors, as well as an academic from ... Read More

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Flake lifts Senate hold on Chief Ag Negotiator nominee: Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., announced Thursday he had released his hold on the nomination of Gregg Doud, currently president of the Commodity Markets Council, to become chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR).  In press statement, Flake said he did so after receiving commitments on North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) priorities from both USTR and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. “Given the importance of U.S. agriculture and what’s at stake for them in the NAFTA ... Read More

TPP countries strike a deal without the U.S.: Negotiators from 11 Pacific Rim nations agreed Tuesday on a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, a year after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the talks.The partners will now work toward signing the agreement by early March. The agreement includes: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.   Trump said during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as well as in an interview with CNBC on Thursday, that he would be ... Read More

NGFA issues confidential member alert on Section 199A provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017: Considerable concern has been raised in the marketplace about how the new Section 199A – included during the waning hours of congressional consideration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 – is influencing producer marketing decisions. Earlier today, NGFA President Randy Gordon issued a report to members on the actions NGFA has taken - and is taking - to address this important industry issue. Included is a link to a joint statement issued by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and ... Read More

Congress attempts to avoid a government shutdown: The House adopted a four-week continuing resolution to keep the government funded late Thursday, but Senate Democrats are withholding support over an immigration deal and a longer-term agreement on spending levels. Current appropriations expire at midnight tonight. Republicans control the Senate by a 51-49 margin, but 60 votes are needed to fund the government. A couple of Republicans have indicated they will not vote for the continuing resolution as it stands. Senate Republicans are meeting this morning to discuss a path forward. If the ... Read More