Economic growth and opportunity in Nebraska’s Third District is powered by agricultural trade. While the United States makes up approximately 5 percent of the world’s population, America’s hardworking farmers and ranchers create enough surplus to export $200 billon in food, fuel, and fiber annually while utilizing fewer and fewer acres each year.
Robust engagement on trade opportunities is vital to unleashing this potential, yet the Biden administration has neglected to pursue enforceable trade agreements and often ignored Congress’ constitutional role in shaping trade policy. While President Biden has had numerous opportunities to personally address issues like Mexico’s unscientific ban on U.S.-grown corn, which threatens market access for American farmers and is a direct violation of United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) commitments, he has failed to do so.
As chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, I am working to ensure American agriculture producers have every opportunity to be successful. This includes ensuring strong enforcement of international trade agreements, expanding export opportunities, and securing our supply chains to benefit workers and consumers at home and abroad.
This week, I partnered with my colleagues, Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) to form the bipartisan Congressional Agriculture Trade Caucus focused on achieving a level playing field for U.S. agriculture producers. Through this new caucus we will work to increase communication, awareness, and bipartisan support for valuable trade opportunities currently in danger of rotting on the vine.
While opening new markets for American products is the best way to grow our economy through trade, Congress must do its part by acting on trade programs in need of reauthorization. For example, renewing trade programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) will not only provide benefits for American workers and consumers, these programs also provide additional remedy opportunities when our trading partners act unfairly. It is also critical Congress passes Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) which facilitates the president’s duty to negotiate enforceable trade agreements while ensuring Congress has proper oversight of those negotiations. Holding the administration accountable to consult Congress on international trade matters will go a long way toward opening global markets for our producers, lowering prices for consumers, and increasing economic security with our allies.
In addition, to keep our food export and domestic supply chains strong, farmers and ranchers depend on veterinarians to detect and prevent highly contagious animal diseases which pose a risk to livestock. A bill I have reintroduced, the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act (H.R. 4355), addresses a discrepancy in our tax code to ease compliance for veterinarians who participate in the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which provides student loan reimbursement to veterinarians who chose to practice for three years in federally designated veterinary shortage areas.
Unlike similar programs for physicians and other human health care providers, VMLRP awards are federally taxed, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is required by law to pay the tax on behalf of the award recipient. H.R. 4355 would simply end federal taxation on the program, increasing the number of veterinarians empowered by the VMLRP to practice in underserved rural areas and helping to ensure the health, safety, and security of our nation’s first-class food safety system. Nebraska currently has 17 counties designated as veterinary shortage areas, including most of the north central part of our state where a significant portion of our cattle inventory is raised.
I am committed to standing up for rural Americans who sacrifice each day to put food on tables and fuel in tanks across the globe. Congress should do everything possible to lift onerous tax burdens, call the administration to step up to the plate through rules-based trade policy, and accomplish robust Farm Bill renewal in 2024. Together we can unleash the potential of American producers feeding and fueling the world.