MEYERS & ASSOCIATES, LLC 2015 North American Beekeeping Conference & Tradeshow January 6-10 ·...

M EYERS & ASSO CI ATES, LLC

2015 North American Beekeeping Conference & Tradeshow

January 6-10 · Disneyland Hotel · Anaheim, CA

“American Beekeeping Federation Legislative Update and Outlook”

Fran BoydSenior Vice President Meyers & Associates Washington, D.C.

Wrapping up the 113th Congress •Immigration Executive Order by President Obama•Omnibus FY 2015 Appropriations through Sept. 2015 (Homeland Security through Feb 2015) - $1.1 trillion•Tax Extensions


President’s “Immigration Accountability Executive Actions”

• Announced a new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)• Children brought into the US can apply for relief if entry was before Jan.

1, 2010 regardless of age. Previous DACA program children needed to be born after 1981 and enter US before June 2007.

• Other provisions of the action• Provide portable work authorization for high-skilled workers awaiting

LPR status and their spouses.• Enhance options for foreign enterprises – criteria will include income

thresholds• Strengthen and extending on-the-job training for STEM grams at US

universities• Clarify & streamline guidance on temporary L-1 visits for foreign

workers who transfer from a company’s foreign office• Ensuring that individuals with lawful status can travel to their countries

of origin with advanced permission.


FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations• Federal Government funded through September 2015

(minus department of Homeland Security – funded through February 2015)

• Total $1.1 Trillion• Omnibus Covers only 1/3 of federal spending

(discretionary spending) • Mandatory Spending – Social Security, Medicare,

Medicaid, and other mandatory programs not part of the Congressional Appropriations process.

• Congressional Budget – covers framework for all spending & taxes over next 10 years. – Health Care & Medicaid projected to drive 44% of growth in

entitlement spending. M E Y E R S & A S S O C I AT E S , L L CM EYERS & ASSO CI ATES, LLC

FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations – Agriculture • General

– Farm and Food Programs - $147.6 billion from USDA & FDA through September 2015, $1.93 billion more than FY 2014

– Total funding for Agriculture programs (discretionary & mandatory - $30.2 billion, $244 million more than FY2014

• Research Funding – $1.18 Billion for Agriculture Research service

(ARS)- $55.1 million more than FY14– $1.29 billion for the National Institute of Food and

Agriculture (NIFA)- $12.4 million more than FY2014• Conservation Funding

– $859.3 million for conservation programs, $33.5 going to NRCA for conservation operations



FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations - Transportation• Trucking in Rest Rule – Suspension– Section 113 temporarily suspends enforcement

of the hours of service regulation related to the restart provisions that went into effect July 1, 2013.

– It directs the Secretary to conduct a study of operational, safety, health, and fatigue aspects of the restart provisions in effect before and after July 1, 2013.

– The inspector General is directed to review the study plan and report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations whether it meets the requirements under this provision.

Bee Legislation 113th Congress - 2nd Session• H.R. 5447– Introduced by Congressman Austin Scott

(R-GA) in September, 2014, would expedite the registration of products intended to improve pollinator health by controlling Varroa mite (no Dem. co-sponsors).

• H.R. 2692– Introduced by Congressman Conyers (D-

MI) & Congressman Blumenauer (D-OR), would ban the use of most neonicotinoid chemicals until more intensive review is conducted by the EPA.


Looking Ahead to 2015Schedule: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a historic Senate work schedule. The Senate will

meet virtually every full week (Fridays included) of 2015 through the Easter holiday.Budget : Both House and Senate GOP leaders have vowed to “move to regular order” on the budget process

with a concurrent budget resolution by April followed soon after by individual appropriation bills.Legislative Agenda:

High priority

•Funding for Federal Government (FY 2016)•Medicare Reimbursement to Physicians (March)•National Debt Limit (March)•Highway Funding (June)•Budget Resolution•13 Appropriations Bills

High attention

•Affordable Care Act reform•Repeal of Medical Device Tax•“Fast-Track” Trade Authority•Immigration reform


Majority (Republican) leadership

• Majority Leader: Mitch McConnell (KY)• Assistant Majority Leader (Majority Whip): John

Cornyn (TX)• Conference Chairman: John Thune (SD)• Conference Vie Chair: Roy Blunt (MO)• Senatorial Committee Chair: Roger Wicker (MS)• Policy Committee Chair: John Barrasso (WY)• Deputy Whips: TBD

Minority (Democratic) leadership

• Minority Leader and Caucus Chair: Harry Reid (NV)• Assistant Minority Leader (Minority Whip): Dick

Durbin (IL)• Caucus Vice Chair and Policy Committee Chair: Chuck

Schumer (NY)• Caucus Secretary: Patty Murray (WA)• Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair: John Tester (MT)• Policy Committee Vice Chair: Debbie Stabenow (MI)• Policy Committee Policy Development Adviser: Mark

Warner (VA)• Steering and Outreach Committee Chair: Amy

Klobuchar (MN)• Steering and Outreach Vice Chair: Jeanne Shaheen (NH)• Chief Deputy Whip: Barbra Boxer (CA)

Preview of the 114th Congress / Leadership

senate


Majority (Republican) leadership

• Majority Leader: Kevin McCarthy (CA-27)• Majority Whip: Steve Scalise (LA-1)• Majority Chief Deputy Whip: Patrick McHenry (NC- 10)• Conference Chair: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5)• Conference Secretary: Virginia Foxx (NC – 5)• Campaign Committee Chair: Greg Walden (OR-2)• Policy Committee Chair: Luke Messer (IN-6)• Deputy Whip: Ann Wagner (MO -2)

Minority (Democratic) leadership

• Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)• Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer (MD-5)• Assistant Democratic Leader: Jim Clyburn (SC-6)• Caucus Chair: Xavier Becerra (CA-34)• Caucus Vice Chair: Joseph Crowley (NY-14)• Steering and Policy Committee Co-Chairs: Rosa

DeLaura (CT- 3) and Donna Edwards (MD-4)• Organization, Study, and Review Chairman: Karen

Bass (CA- 37)• Policy and Communications Chair: Steve Israel (NY-3)• Senior Chief Deputy Minority Whip: John Lewis (GA-5)• Chief Deputy Whips: G.K. Butterfield (NC-1), Diana

DeGette (CO-1), Keith Ellison (MN -5), Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Krysten Sinema (AZ-9), Debbie Wasserman Schutz (FL-23), Peter Walsh (VT – at large)

housePreview of the 114th

Congress / Leadership


Preview of the 114th Congress / Senate


GOP victories over Democratic incumbents in Arkansas, Colorado, North Carolina, Louisiana, & Alaska. Won open seats in Iowa, Montana, South Dakota, and West Virginia.. Current breakdown: Republicans 54 (9 seat gain), Democrats 44, Independent 2.

What to expect?•Number of moderate Democrats defeated – Democratic Caucus continues to inch toward the left•2016 map leaves Republicans vulnerable

The House of the 114th Congress consists of 247 Republican Members, a 13 seat gain and, 188 Democrat Members.

What to expect?

Preview of the 114th Congress / House

•GOP House will continue as a check on the Administration•Work with Senate to foster a cohesive approach/unified message that is result driven•Aggressive use of oversight gavel

•Targeted efforts against Administration rules and regulations contrary to Republican policy and political goals•Efforts to send the President any bi-partisan bills as early as possible



House Agriculture Committee

▪▪▪▪▪

Chairman: Rep. Michael Conaway, R-TXVice-Chairman: Rep. Randy Neugerbauer, R-TX

Ranking Member: Collin Peterson, D-MN (Not Pictured)

Subcommittee LeadershipBiotechnology, Horticulture, and Research: Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill.Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit: Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga.Conservation and Forestry: Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa.General Farm Commodities and Risk Management: Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark.Livestock and Foreign Agriculture: Rep.-elect David Rouzer, R-N.C.Nutrition: Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind.Democratic Members to be selected in January

Senate Agriculture Committee

• Pat Roberts – Chair (Top Left)

• Debbie Stabenow – Ranking Member (Top Right)

• Incoming New Members (From Left to Right)

– David Perdue, R-Georgia– Joni Ernst, R-Iowa– Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina– Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska – Democrat Members not yet

selected


ISSUE AREASISSUE AREAS


Budget & Appropriations• Funding the Federal Government

– Omnibus Appropriations bill FY 2015 signed December 2014.

• Debt limit– Currently extended through March 15, 2014– Sequestration - Imposed discriminatory spending caps

through 2021 to achieve $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction to offset income in debt limit. (Budget control act of 2011)

• FY 2016 Budget Process– Submission of the President’s Budget Proposal to

Congress (early spring)– House and Senate Budget Committees will begin work

on a budget resolution for FY 2016– Pass a Concurrent Budget Resolution, which requires

60 votes from the Senate to pass• FY 2016 Appropriations Process


Agriculture & Food Policy Primary Issues•Child Nutrition Reauthorization• School Lunch Program• Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(SNAP)•Country- of-Origin Labeling (COOL)•Food Safety Modernization Act•Menu Labeling via Affordable Care Act•Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Labeling•Agriculture trade issues•General Oversight Hearings – Including Presidential Task Force on Honey Bee health.


Transportation & InfrastructureHighway Trust Fund (HTF) has been insufficient to support authorized expenditure levels since 2008 and is losing ground yearly.

114th Congress will have to decide what the federal governments role will be in transportation investment and funding

Trucking

Final Trucking Rest Rule.


Tax Policy• Major Tax Reform, while

not impossible is a long shot for the 114th Congress.

• Business Tax reform has best possibility for 2015

• Individual rate reform will remain controversial into the next election due to parties incompatible viewpoints.


•Tax Policy/Reform can be included in Budget Reconciliation

Energy & Environment

• Energy production and export policy will be a top agenda item throughout the 114th Congress

• The Administration will continue to promulgate regulation on energy issues such as greenhouse gases, water, and carbon emissions

• Clean Water Final Rule.– “Waters of the U.S.”


Trade Policy• GOP control of Congress provides the President

with more support for his trade policy agenda:

– “Fast-Track” Trade Promotion Authority (TPA)

– Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)– Transatlantic Trades and Investment

Partnership (TTIP)


M EYERS & ASSO CI ATES, LLCC o u r t e s y o f U S D A / E P A

From Your Worker Bee in Washington D.C.

Questions and Discussion


MEYERS & ASSOCIATES, LLC 2015 North American Beekeeping Conference & Tradeshow January 6-10 ·...

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