Neither President Obama nor Gov. Romney has outlined a specific agenda for farm policy this year, but Romney is starting to provide more details about how his administration would handle key issues.
“There’s no question that there is a real contrast between Gov. Romney and President Obama when it comes to American agriculture,” noted Chuck Conner, a former Deputy and Acting Secretary of Agriculture during the George W. Bush Administration who is serving as one of the national chairs for the coalition.
Conner told Agri-Pulse that there are several actions Gov. Romney pledged to take in order to help agriculture and rural America on “Day one” if elected to serve as president. These include:
· Seek expanded Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to begin what Conner described as a “stalled process to open new markets for agricultural products across the globe.”
· Repeal the estate tax. Without further legislative action, estate taxes will increase dramatically to a 55% rate for estates valued above $1 million on Jan. 1, 2013, which could threaten the ability of families to pass down the farm to future generations.
· Place a “regulatory cap” on new regulations and by executive order, instruct each federal agency to come up with a system – similar to zero-based budgeting – which would require agencies to consider the costs before imposing onerous new regulations. “This would end the cycle of placing more and more regulations on farmers and ranchers,” Conner explained.
The coalition includes:
National Chairs
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam
Ambassador Tom Nassif
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer
Sen. Mike Johanns (NE)
Former USDA Acting/Deputy Secretary Charles Conner
National Co-Chairs
Secretary John Block
Secretary Ed Schafer
Secretary Clayton Yeutter
Sen. Pat Roberts (KS)
Sen. Jerry Moran (KS)
Sen. Roy Blunt (MO)
Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA)
Sen. John Hoeven (ND)
Sen. Thad Cochran (MS)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (GA)
Sen. John Boozman (AR)
Rep. Frank Lucas (OK)
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA)
Rep. Randy Neugebauer (TX)
Rep. Mike Conaway (TX)
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE)
Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (PA)
Rep. Marlin Stutzman (IN)
Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH)
Rep. Scott Tipton (CO)
Rep. Steve Southerland (FL)
Rep. Rick Crawford (AR)
Rep. Tim Huelskamp (KS)
Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL)
Rep. Reid Ribble (WI)
Rep. Jack Kingston (GA)
Rep. Stephen Fincher (TN)
Rep. Cory Gardner (CO)
Rep. Tom Latham (IA)
Rep. Kristi Noem (SD)
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA)
Alabama Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black
Kansas Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman
Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Michael Strain
Michigan Agriculture Director Jamie Clover Adams
Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith
South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers
Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples
Utah Agriculture Commissioner Leonard Blackham
Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel
National Advisory Board
Former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Jack Parnell
Former Agriculture Secretary Bill Even, South Dakota
Former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Gen “A.G.” Kawamura, California
Former Agriculture Secretary Don Ament, Colorado
Bryan Black, Past President, National Pork Producers Council
Al Montna, Former Chairman, USA Rice Federation
Chris Policinski, CEO, Land O'Lakes
Greg Ibach, Director – Nebraska Department of Agriculture
J.D. Alexander – President, National Cattleman’s Beef Association
The Honorable Randy Russell, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
Katie Smith – Former Director, Missouri Department of Agriculture
John Miller— Former CEO, National Beef Packing Company
Steve Troxler – North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner
The Honorable Leland Strom
John Johnson, former USDA Deputy Administrator
Charles Kruse, former Missouri Farm Bureau President
Nathan Sanderson Ph.D., Agriculture Policy Advisor to South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard
Tom Stenzel, President, United Fresh Produce Association
Jim Magagna, Wyoming
Hobey Bauhan, Virginia
Jay Vroom
Beau Greenwood
Sam Moore, Kentucky
James Moody, Cold Creek Farms
Bruce Nelson, Former Chairman, USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council
Dan Wyant, Past Director, Michigan Department of Agriculture
Mike Yost, Past Chairman and President, American Soybean Association
Former U.S. Senator Duncan Faircloth (NC)
Former U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes (NC), Chairman, NC Republican Party
Trent Bushner, former President Colorado Corn Growers
Robert Bray, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
Mike Firestine, Pennsylvania
Dave Armstrong, GreenStone Farm Credit Services
Richard Ebert, Vice President of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
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