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Congressman proposes regulatory title for farm bill

A Kansas Congressman is proposing that a new title be added to the 2012 Farm Bill—one that would prevent and prohibit overregulation of agriculture.

Freshman congressman Tim Huelskamp, who is a member of the House Ag Committee, has introduced the Freeing Agriculture to Reap More Act—called the “FARM Act” for short.  And he is calling on ag committee leaders in the House and Senate to make it part of the farm policy recommendations currently being developed.

Huelskamp says farmers are weary of what he calls “Washington’s crushing burden of overregulation”.

“Whether it is on youth involvement on family farms, pesticide application permits, greenhouse gases, farm dust, farm commercial vehicles, fuel hauling limitations for farm equipment, or livestock emission taxes—the federal government continues to insist that it control the intricate day-to-day affairs of America’s agricultural communities,” Huelskamp says.

The bill would also delay implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory reform law and block funding for the newly-established White House Rural Council.

Huelskamp says it’s time to put an end to Washington’s distrust of farmers, ranchers and the rest of rural America.