• Michigan Farm Bureau continues to advocate for a long-term solution to our agricultural workforce needs. We continue to communicate to Congress on the out-of-control growth in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) and challenges with the H-2A visa program. We are also concerned with a few recent rules from the Biden Administration and shared those concerns with Congress. Michigan Farm Bureau communicated with Congress in opposition to the Department of Labors rule regarding the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) methodology for the Temporary Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants (Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor, Docket Number ETA-2021-0006). MFB is supporting a Congressional Resolution of Disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in opposition to the final AEWR rule and is encouraging Members of Congress to support it. The rule neglects to account for the fact that farm job descriptions often include many different responsibilities not just one role as the rule assumes. MFB is also supporting H.R. 7046 and S. 3848 the Supporting Farm Operations Act. The bill would pause the AEWR at the 2023 level thru the end of 2025. MFB also supported a letter to Appropriators for pausing the AEWR in the FY224 Appropriations process. The letter was led by Rep. Bill Huizenga. MFB also communicated with Congress on the USCIS proposed rule to increase fees for the H-2A and H-2B visa programs. Specifically, USCIS proposes to raise filing fees for H-2A and H-2B petitions by 137% and 135%, respectively. In addition, USCIS proposes an additional $600 asylum fee per petition. Furthermore, by capping each petition at 25 workers, employers with a larger guest worker need, will incur these costs potentially multiple times over. MFB is very concerned with these proposed charges to farmers and has asked Congress to weigh in.
• Michigan Farm Bureau continues to advocate for the 2023 Farm Bill to be completed on time. Our priorities for the bill include: Increase baseline funding commitments to farm programs (reference price increase, commodity loan rates) as they have not kept up with inflation Maintain a unified, bipartisan farm bill which includes nutrition programs and farm programs together Prioritize funding for risk management tools which include both federal crop insurance and commodity programs (ARC, PLC, DMC) Ensure adequate USDA staffing capacity and technical assistance Maintain funding for voluntary, working lands conservation programs. Support trade promotion programs like Foreign Market Development (FMD) and Market Assistance Program (MAP) Ensuring adequate funding for the specialty crop industry with emphasis on fundamental research, marketing & promotion, and pest management programs Funding for ag research and education MFB supported the following bills: H.R. 4838, the Specialty Crop Security Act and H.R. 5199, the Specialty Crop Research Act, bills to increase funding of the specialty crop research in the Farm Bill. H.R. 4059 - a bill to include phosphate and potash on the final list of critical minerals of the Department of the Interior. We support this legislation as these minerals are critical for food production. H.R. 4739 and S.26 82 Protecting Americas Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers Act. The bill would make improvements to the USDA Tree Assistance Program. S. 322 Spotted Wing Abatement Trust (SWAT) Act - the bill would direct USDA APHIS to establish a fund for research and activities related to mitigating the effects of spotted wing drosophila, an insect hurting the specialty crop industry. MFB has also been supportive of efforts to include funding for mechanization in the farm bill that would help with labor shortages. MFB supported a bill by Reps. LaMalfa and Carbajal and another by Reps. Valadao and Costa related to mechanization and a letter by the same authors.
• Michigan Farm Bureau continues to advocate for new trade opportunities that would allow for U.S. farmers to find and grow markets across the globe, including a FTA with the United Kingdom. In addition, we seek a fair and level playing field for farmers that face pressure from unfair, foreign competition - especially our specialty crop sector. We continue to advocate for options for farmers to tools in place for these industries to take cases against foreign countries when we believe they are not playing by the rules. Our trade negotiation objectives include: All agricultural products and policies in the negotiations Eliminate non-tariff trade barriers Ensure market access for biotechnology products Address issues concerning import-sensitive products Oppose the Precautionary Principle Oppose the use of geographic indicators
• Michigan Farm Bureau advocated to Congress for reforms to the regulatory system, specifically updates to how agricultural chemistries are reviewed and approved. Farmers need a regulatory system that is fair, transparent, adheres to the will of Congress, takes economic impact into account, and respects our freedoms Crop protection tools go through a rigorous process to get to market and are regularly reviewed by the manufacturers and government agencies Farmers now face additional uncertainty due to EPA's new requirements to do more to prevent endangered species impacts from pesticides Farm Bureau policy supports: Use of sound science in rulemaking Coordination between USDA and EPA on regulations affecting agriculture Estimating the cost and benefits of regulations Ensuring transparency in the rulemaking process Vigorous congressional oversight Litigation reform Funding for IR4 bio-pesticide research program for minor crops MFB supported the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act, H.R. 4288. The bill would reaffirm FIFRAs standard that the EPA is the single authority on pesticide labeling and packaging requirements. The bill ensures the EPA doesnt take any action, including approving label requirements, contradictory to the agencys science-based views. The Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act will provide certainty to producers and consumers, ensuring the tools supporting the agriculture industry and food supply chain remain safe and available. The bill would preempt states from imposing their own labeling requirements.
• Michigan Farm Bureau joined the National Association of Manufactures and other partners in sending a letter to House and Senate Leadership on tax policy. Specifically, the letter called for Congress to take immediate action on R&D expensing, a pro-growth interest deductibility standard and full expensing. MFB urged Congress to support Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.
• Michigan Farm Bureau is concerned about proposed rulemaking by the Securities and Exchange Commission and supported Congressional letters to the SEC on the issue and expressed our concerns with the proposal to Congress. In a Federal Register notice published April 11, 2022, the SEC is proposing for public comment amendments to its rules under the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act) and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) that would require registrants to provide certain climate related information in their registration statements and annual reports, including potentially invasive and burdensome information about farms. The proposed rules would require information about a registrants climate related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on its business, results of operations, or financial condition. The required information about climate-related risks would also include disclosure of a registrants greenhouse gas emissions, which have become a commonly used metric to assess a registrants exposure to such risks. In addition, under the proposed rules, certain climate-related financial metrics would be required in a registrants audited financial statements. Farmers and ranchers are not registrants or otherwise subject in any way to the jurisdiction and oversight of the SEC. The proposed rule changes this. The proposed rules expansive treatment of the reporting of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions not only directly effects our members operations, but in doing so may create multiple, new sources of substantial costs and liabilities. These include almost certain reporting obligations, technical challenges, significant financial and operational disruption and the risk of financially crippling legal liabilities. In doing so, the rule would have meaningful consequences for our members ability to produce this countrys food, fuel and fiber as well as for the security and stability of US agricultural supply chains. MFB worked with a farmer member that provided testimony from a grower perspective on the proposed rule. The farmer testified before the House Financial Services Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in January of 2024.
• Michigan Farm Bureau communicated with Congress on several appropriations related topics, including: Senator Gary Peters SWAT Act requesting funding for APHIS, including specialty crop pest program. In order to sustain specialty crop production and provide continued domestic food security, robust investment must be maintained in order to mitigate the harmful effects caused by these invasive pests, such as the spotted wing drosophila (SWD). SWD is an invasive pest from East Asia that lays eggs in soft-skinned specialty fruit crops, including cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. MFB also communicated with House offices specially requesting ways that the H-2A visa program could be address through the Appropriations process.

Duration: January 1, 2008 to April 18, 2014

General Issues: Immigration, Agriculture, Trade (Domestic & Foreign), Chemicals/Chemical Industry, Taxation/Internal Revenue Code, Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities, Budget/Appropriations, Clean Air & Water (Quality), Energy/Nuclear, Transportation, Animals, Homeland Security, Telecommunications, Small Business, Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace, Health Issues, Environmental/Superfund, Utilities, Housing, Government Issues, Natural Resources, Food Industry (Safety, Labeling, etc.), Insurance, Commodities (Big Ticket), Real Estate/Land Use/Conservation, Education

Spending: about $4,440,000 (But it's complicated. Here's why.)

It can be tricky to figure out how much an organization spent on a particular lobbying engagement. The law only requires lobbyists to report the amount they were paid for federal lobbying each quarter rounded to the nearest $10,000—and if it's less than $3,000 in a given quarter (or less than $13,000 for organizations with in-house lobbyists), they don't have to disclose it at all. Plus, some organizations include spending that doesn’t belong in the report—for instance, money spent lobbying state governments or other legal work.

Agencies lobbied since 2008: U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, Agriculture - Dept of (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Labor - Dept of (DOL), White House Office, Commerce - Dept of (DOC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), State - Dept of (DOS), Homeland Security - Dept of (DHS), Small Business Administration (SBA), Transportation - Dept of (DOT), U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), House of Representatives,, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Senate,, Agriculture - Dept of (USDA)