GOP Ag leaders on Capitol Hill say they will overhaul the conservation title of the farm bill if they win a majority in the next Congress. House Ag Republicans are already taking shots at President Biden’s ‘climate-smart’ conservation spending weeks before midterm elections.
Top conservation Republican Doug LeMalfa talks about the administration’s $3.5 billion Climate Smart Practices pilot.
“This funding’s being released unilaterally. In addition, this funding comes on top of the most recent reconciliation package passed last month, which provided roughly $20 billion for conservation programs.”
LeMalfa concedes USDA programs provide big environmental benefits like soil health, but as for focusing dollars on climate efforts.
“The House Ag Committee must be mindful of this massive amount of funding before amending programs and making policy changes that reorient conservation programs more toward climate mitigation.”
And this from possible next Ag chair Glenn “GT” Thompson if the majority changes; “I especially am worried about the earmarking of all the new money just for climate rather than letting the locally-led process work.”
Thompson stressed making the conservation title work for the producer by strengthening CSP, RCPP, looking at CRP, not undermining the popular EQIP, and innovating with Precision Ag.
