During the Iowa State Fair, we had many farmers and members of agribusiness stop by and talk with us about many different issues and the obligatory check-in on the market numbers. These are the things that are important to the industry and have been coming with a lot of question marks in the past months. Along with these ag industry members, we also had the chance to talk with many Iowa lawmakers about the state of the industry and bring these concerns to them. Senator Joni Ernst was one of those who took the opportunity to meet with us.
AUDIO: Full interview with Iowa Senator Joni Ernst
Being right outside the cattle barn, it seemed like the perfect location to talk about cattle market transparency issues. Senator Ernst had just come from a meeting with the Iowa Cattlemen?s Association and talked about what she has been hearing from Iowa beef producers and the work being done in the Senate to help the cattle industry. Right now, it is about educating lawmakers about the importance of this movement and also finding the best path forward.
The infrastructure bill is another hot topic in Washington, and it has been causing even more lines to be drawn in the halls of Congress. The Senate recently passed their bipartisan legislation. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley broke ranks and voted for the measure, but Senator Ernst said she just wasn?t comfortable with the version on the table. She understands the need for infrastructure and supports many items in the bill, there was just too much attached to it.
So, what were some of these ?pet projects? that the Senator Objected to? She describes one of them that she felt was not responsible for the taxpayers to fund. It involves a subway that would come from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi?s district.
Ernst says she was frustrated that there was no real inclusion of biofuels in the infrastructure plan. She commented on President Biden?s mention of support for biofuels while campaigning in the state but has not seen anything in the way of materialization of those promises. As the country moves towards electrification of the vehicle fleet, Ernst says that biofuels are essential in making that transition.
As we talked on the day of the honoring of Century and Heritage farms at the fair, Senator Ernst talked about the Stepped-Up Basis battle in the halls of Congress. The future of many of these family farms is hanging in the balance.
Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA 3rd) says that the Biden Administration is wanting to carve out small family businesses and family farms from any of these proposed changes. However, Senator Ernst says it will not be a simple proposition, and some farms may not make the cut.
