Agriculture and Food

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) released the following statement after the House Rules Committee advanced his amendment for consideration before the full U.S. House of Representatives. The Huizenga Amendment blocks any funding for the Biden Administration’s proposal to impose a $600 per petition “Asylum Program Fee” on employers. The Biden Administration’s new fee would… Read more »

Our local economy is unique. It is driven by tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing. It is rare for an area to have all three staples of economic activity in one spot, and Southwest Michigan is fortunate to have them. I am proud to serve as Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, where I play a leading role in protecting the ecology and strengthening the economy of the Great Lakes.… Read more »

Agriculture plays a significant role in our economy at the local, state, and federal levels. I’m excited to share with you new legislation I introduced to strengthen Michigan’s economy while helping local farmers. Along the Lakeshore and across Southwest Michigan, we have the unique ability to grow a variety of specialty crops in addition to more traditional agriculture products. Whether… Read more »

Today, Congressman Huizenga (R-MI) and Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Protecting America’s Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers Act to reform a vital safety net for specialty crop growers in Southwest Michigan and across the nation. This bipartisan bill enhances the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Tree Assistance Program (TAP), a critical disaster program that provides… Read more »

On Wednesday evening, Congressman Huizenga appeared on "The Bottom Line" to discuss the ESG working group and how House Republicans will be addressing concerns over ESG in the weeks ahead. During the conversation, Rep. Huizenga made clear the fiduciary responsibility for asset managers, proxy advisors, and even the SEC should be on maximizing returns for investors, not pushing an… Read more »

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Chairman of the House Financial Services Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee and Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY), Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy announced the introduction of the Mandatory Materiality Requirement Act. The Mandatory Materiality Requirement Act amends both the… Read more »

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with farmers in Berrien County. Our conversation largely revolved around how rising costs are impacting the ability of farmers to stay in business. The last thing our agriculture community needs – especially considering inflation and supply chain issues – is another price increase that makes it harder for them to help feed our nation. Sadly, the… Read more »

This week, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-04) joined a bipartisan effort calling on the Biden Administration to expand markets for Michigan blueberries and reduce barriers facing farmers who export the fruit. In a letter from members representing blueberry growing states, the lawmakers urge U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to expand overseas sales of American grown blueberries by… Read more »

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-04), Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, helped announce the relaunching of the bipartisan House PFAS Task Force for the 118th Congress. PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” poses serious dangers to human health and the environment. In recent years, communities in Michigan and across the nation have discovered PFAS contamination in soil,… Read more »

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and a bipartisan group of Michigan representatives, released a letter to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in opposition to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) proposed fee increases for small business employers. The rule, proposed by the Biden Administration in January, would raise the cost of the H-2A petition fee for named workers from $460 to… Read more »