������ý

 When it comes to pending legislation, our Association spends most of our time dealing with state proposals that could affect members. This is not due to a lack of interest in federal legislation or regulation. It simply reflects our understanding of the partisan political climate and the gridlock in the nation’s capital. 

This issue of Shortliner, however, is the perfect time to talk federal legislation, because you have your best opportunity to engage. Members of Congress will be in their districts more days in July and August than any other time of the year. It is important that they hear from manufacturers and the ag industry about what we need: tax reform and relief from federal regulation. 

Taxes 

Jason Saving, a Dallas Fed economist and a co-author of a new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, has this to says about tax reform: “If tax reform were easy, people would have done it a long time ago.” 

True enough. The Fed’s report acknowledges that corporate tax reform has become a high-profile issue. In fact, at 39.1 percent, it is “easily the highest among developed world competitors and almost double the rate that prevails in the U.K.” 

Administration officials have met with lawmakers since April to flesh out President Trump’s one-page tax plan. Now, the officials are branching out to meet business leaders, who are eager to weigh in. 

White House spokeswoman Natalie Strom said the administration plans to hold about a dozen meetings this summer with business leaders from a variety of sectors. 

“The industry listening sessions—combined with our meetings with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle—will help us develop a plan that everyone who wants to simplify the tax system and let middle-income Americans keep more of their hard-earned money can get behind,” she said. 

This administration and the GOP have made tax reform one of their highest priorities. Overhauling the tax code is a heavy lift that will require lawmakers and the White House to do away with popular corporate tax breaks. The listening sessions could help get stakeholders to develop and rally behind an eventual tax bill. 

Regulations 

On this issue, most farmers and manufacturers agree: The increasing number of regulations is one of the biggest challenges facing their businesses. 

Our task in this case is to encourage progress. In addition to rollbacks Trump has called for through executive orders, we expect additional reforms from the USDA. 

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is leading a task force charged with resetting the regulatory tone in agriculture. “We’re going to do that through fact-based decision making,” he said, and “good, sound science.” 

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt says he’s also trying to change the agenda at his agency by “getting back to the importance of regulating, providing certainty to those in the marketplace, but doing so when we’re not putting a thumb on the scales in favor of certain folks.” 

The agency is also analyzing if Pruitt can grant a waiver to allow year-round E15 sales. 

Farm groups have a host of additional regulations they want reformed. 

“The top of our list would still be Waters of the U.S.,” said Mary Kay Thatcher, senior congressional director for the American Farm Bureau Federation. “We have got to get that thing completely overturned, see if we can get it moving and get the courts to rule one way or another soon.” 

While the major media is focused on their own agenda, it’s important that our members join with other ag industry groups and let your elected representatives know what is working and what need to be changed in our nation’s laws and policies.