AHC releases bi-annual Congressional Scorecard

AHC President Julie Broadway announced the top ten “Champion” Members of Congress who have supported legislation significant to the equine industry. Acknowledging the many challenges confronting the current Congress, Broadway said, “The pace of legislating is slow, money is tight, and it is an election year. It is a trifecta of troubles, yet we’re pleased to announce our Champions in Congress who continue to advocate for the equine industry. It’s been a particularly tumultuous period, and our Congressional Scorecard is more important than ever to help our members sort through all the noise that has enveloped the political discourse.”

The following are the top five ranking members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives:

SENATE

1. Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia)
2. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota)
3. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas)
4. John Thune (R-South Dakota)
5. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska-2)
2. Jimmy Panetta (D-California-19)
3. Andy Barr (R-Kentucky-6)
4. Dan Meuser (R-Pennsylvania-9)
5. McGarvey Morgan (D-Kentucky-3)

The scoring does not consider party affiliations. “The integrity of the scorecard is based on performance, not politics,” said Broadway. “We have a strong track record of working with both sides of the aisle. It’s the work product that matters, not the letter after their names.”

The Congressional Scorecard identifies legislation that draws consensus among the AHC’s diverse membership in areas such as animal welfare issues arising under the Horse Protection Act, labor flexibility, tax reform, public trails access, federal resources for equine-assisted services, USDA resources to promote equine programs and others that may emerge as the legislative, process moves forward. In addition to the legislation, points are awarded to members of the U.S. Congress who support the AHC through their membership in the Congressional Horse Caucus, who participate in AHC events, and who are accessible and responsive to AHC members and staff.

The methodology used to construct the Congressional Scorecard can be accessed here.

Do horse farms qualify for USDA Funding?

The USDA announced a historic amount of funding recently made available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). But what is this funding for and who qualifies?

USDA and NRCS have many programs available to agriculture operators and those living in designated rural areas. These funding programs include grants for sustainable energy improvements (like solar panels), forestry and pasture management plans (time for a pasture upgrade?), and water accessibility (how were you planning to get water to that backfield anyway?).

Operators typically have to produce an “agriculture product,” for horses, this includes breeding products such as semen, embryos, and foals. If you are an operator with a mixed species property, or one who grows crops, food or fiber production also qualifies you.

Funding comes from the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. It “will help farmers save money, create new revenue streams, enhance natural resources, and tackle the climate crisis.”

Investment in climate-smart agriculture has been a key goal of the Inflation Reduction Act and the upcoming Farm Bill. The most recent funding announcement will be disseminated through the RCPP Classic and Alternative programs through the NRCS. Opportunities to apply for funding are available to small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and more.

The RCPP promotes the coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value‑added contributions to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through the RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that provide solutions to conservation challenges thereby measurably improving the resource concerns they seek to address. RCPP promotes collaboration with partners, stakeholders, and various communities, which is paramount to achieving equity in NRCS programs and services.

RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. By leveraging collective resources and collaborating on common goals, RCPP demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in delivering results for agriculture and conservation.

RCPP projects may include a range of on-the-ground conservation activities implemented by farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. These activities include:

• Land management/land improvement/restoration practices
• Land rentals
• Entity-held easements
• United States-held easements
• Public works/watersheds

A single RCPP project application can propose to employ any combination of these eligible activity types as part of an RCPP project. RCPP projects must be carried out on agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land or associated land on which NRCS determines an eligible activity would help achieve conservation benefits (i.e., improved condition of natural resources resulting from implementation of conservation activities).

If you don’t have a project that qualifies to apply for RCPP funding, there may be other opportunities for you! Reach out to your local USDA office to learn more: https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

Labor Shortage

 

“The bottom line is that we need a migrant worker program that respects and enforces our immigration laws while providing these industries with the workforce they need.”

 

That headline sums up the mission of the Agricultural Labor Working Group (ALWG) formed by the House Agriculture Committee, which just released its final report.

 

The ALWG identified the factors contributing to a shortage of domestic workers and the impact this shortage is having on farms and ranches. The study focused on the H-2A visa program for non-immigrant agricultural workers.

 

Key findings and recommendations are based on extensive stakeholder input gathered during roundtable sessions and additional consultations. The report breaks down the policy recommendations into three categories: those that earned unanimous consent, those with majority support, and recommendations that were excluded.

 

Some of the recommendations were adopted with unanimous support include:

 

• Simplifying and streamlining the application process.
• Granting year-round industries access to the H-2A program
• Federal Heat Standard for H2-A workers
• Wage reform

 

The ALWG hopes this report will guide public policy development and result in effective, targeted bipartisan legislation.

 

The report is a quick read. Let us know what you think at info@horsecouncil.org