Agri-Pulse Open Mic Interview

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Nebraska Rep. Adrian Smith. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the 3rd district representative has been deeply involved in tax reform efforts. With separate tax bills approved in both chambers, Smith is hopeful the tax code revisions will support farmers and small business owners as well as encourage the corporate community to spend more on employees and wages. The GOP Congressman is supportive of trade agreements and cautious of negotiations that might limit agriculture’s access to global markets. Smith has introduced renewable fuels legislation and offers his thoughts on amending the RFS.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Ed Elfmann, Senior Vice President for Ag and Rural Banking Policy with the American Bankers Association. Rural bankers are cautiously optimistic as they face a challenging agriculture economic climate in the year ahead. In this week’s interview Elfmann addresses the impact of higher interest rates on farm loans, identifies priority issues within the new farm bill and outlines unique regulatory hurdles rural bankers must endure to serve farmers, businesses and individual in communities across the country.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway. In this interview, the Texas Republican offers support for the GOP tax plan and identifies agriculture’s gains from the House proposal. Conaway embraces the challenge of the NAFTA renegotiation and offers full support for President Trump’s efforts to get a better deal for both farmers and industry. The chairman outlines ag committee preparation and work toward writing a new farm bill and supports significant change in the nation’s renewable energy policy and RIN’s structure.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp. The North Dakota Democrat talks about how weather and other hardships have impacted producers this year and evaluates current farm bill provisions. Heitkamp recently met with Trump Administration officials on trade issues and is keeping a watchful eye on RFS decisions from the EPA. She says her constituents are concerned about both the nation’s complex tax code and growing national debt.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Senator Joni Ernst. The Iowa Republican was among a group of farm state legislators who held the Trump administration accountable to their commitment to support for the Renewable Fuel Standard. In this interview, Senator Ernst discusses possible concessions for the oil industry. Ernst and other leaders are keeping a watchful eye on the trade front as well as tax reform debate in the House. Senator Ernst outlines proposals she’s offered on conservation and risk management provisions in the 2018 farm bill.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Chuck Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. In this week’s interview the former Deputy Ag Secretary discusses pending legislative issues that could have a dramatic impact on the nation’s farmers and their cooperatives. Conner gives caution to a House tax reform proposal, shares concern about ongoing trade negotiations and offers an ultimatum on the failure of the Congress to address agriculture’s need for guest workers.