Weekly Update for
September 19

This week, NAWG Government Relations Representative Jack Long participated in the CropLife America (CLA) and RISE 2024 Annual Meeting. Attendees were briefed on issues such as the Endangered Species Act, trade, electoral dynamics, the Farm Bill, and more. This event also included networking opportunities, engaging speakers, and team building activities. Pictured below is Jeff Blackwood, CLA; Duane Simpson, Bayer; Renée Munasifi, Nutrien; Jack Long, NAGW; and Kyle Kunkler, American Soybean Association.

Registration is now open for the NAWG/USW 2024 Fall Meeting! This event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 12 through Thursday, November 14, 2024, in Phoenix, AZ, at The Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass Hotel. We would encourage officers and staff to arrive before lunch on Tuesday, November 12, in time for the National Wheat Foundation board meeting. Regarding departures, the NAWG board of directors meeting is scheduled to end at noon on Thursday, November 14. The airport is a 20-minute drive from the hotel. Please plan your travel accordingly. You will find everything you need on our Wheat Industry Fall Conference website page.

Getting access to the medications you need shouldn’t be hard. Unfortunately, health insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) keep adding new obstacles that patients have to overcome just to get the medications they need at their local pharmacy. Learn more about how we can change the current system by limiting the control of these healthcare monopolies. The moderated discussion will feature Dr. Madelaine Feldman, a rheumatologist and patient advocate, and Alfred Pence, a pharmacist and owner of an independent, small-town, family-run business. This 45-minute webinar will explain how insurance coverage can limit healthcare access and impact patient out-of-pocket costs, and ways that we can change the status quo by advancing important PBM reforms to better serve patients. For more information click the link below.

On September 18, the House of Representatives considered the Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act (H.R. 9494), which failed by a vote of 202-220. This bill would have funded the government through March 28, 2025, which is currently set to expire on September 30, and included the SAVE Act (H.R. 8281) regarding voter identification. Senate leadership is also considering a different approach to funding the government until mid-December, focusing on a “clean” appropriations bill.

On September 12, U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act (H.R. 9456), which makes changes to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), including by requiring CFIUS to determine whether a national security review is necessary for reportable agricultural land transactions that are referred by the USDA. The bill also expands the membership of CFIUS to include the Secretary of Agriculture on covered transactions that involve agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry. Prior to the vote, the White House issued a statement of policy outlining its concerns with the legislation. The Senate has since referred the bill to the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

On September 19, U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member, announced that the Committee will hold a hearing to consider the nominations of Marcus D. Graham of Tennessee to be a member of the Farm Credit Administration Board and Julie Brinn Siegel to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

On September 17, Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) took to the Senate floor to urge a “timely and urgent response” for the farm economy as it relates to the Farm Bill. The Senator urged members to pass the bill before the end of the calendar year. His focus was on the need to increase the farm safety net as the economy worsens for producers. Senator Boozman mentioned the multi-commodity fly-in NAWG participated in and the need for these producers as they left their operations during harvest, attesting to the urgent need for a Farm Bill.

On September 18, the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Food Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research held a hearing to discuss the school lunch and breakfast programs. The hearing aimed to better understand the impacts of the program and how to further include the program in the farm bill. Witnesses included Crystal FitzSimons, Interim President of Food Research & Action Center, Russell Redding, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, E. Nichole Taylor, Director of Food and Nutrition at the Chichester School District, Kay Swartz Rentzel, Executive Director of Southeastern Food Processors Association, National Peach Council, and U.S. Sweet Potato Council, and Dr. Meg Bruening, Professor and Department Head of Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences.

On September 19, the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) participated in Anheuser-Busch’s 2024 Brew Across America competition. "Thank you Anheuser-Busch for including the National Wheat Foundation in this year's Brew Across America competition. Our nation's wheat growers appreciate your partnership and support," said Bernard Peterson, Chairman of the National Wheat Foundation.  Earlier this summer, Anheuser-Busch hosted six teams – each made up of members of Congress from both sides of the aisle – at its breweries across the country to create beers inspired by local flavors and ingredients from their home districts and states. Then, these beers were served at Anheuser-Busch’s Brew Across America event at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., and judged on five different characteristics: visual, aroma, taste, balance, and story. The competition benefited six charitable organizations supporting American farmers, with the Anheuser- Busch Foundation awarding a total of $75,000 to Farm Rescue, the Rice Foundation, the National Wheat Foundation, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Education Foundation, the Southwest Council of Agribusiness Relief Fund, and the National Sorghum Foundation. NWF was partnered with Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) and Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06) and received $10,000 for its participation.

Contestants are busy putting in their harvest data, the last day is October 1, 2024. The Agronomists Happy Hour podcast had a long discussion about the contest with Anne Osborne, NWF Project Manager and Mark Haugland, NWF Board Member. You might be surprised at how much the contest is learning and teaching about raising high yield, high quality wheat. You can listen below.

The Fall Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 12, at 1:00 pm at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, AZ. This is in conjunction with the Fall meetings of NAWG and US Wheat. Everyone is invited to the NWF Board meeting, we will have some educational speakers, and our regular board business will be conducted. To register, use the NAWG website and go to the Events section.