In The News

Below are excerpts from Congressman Huizenga's joint op-ed on the upcoming farm bill conference report with Dr. Dan Benishek and Congressman Tim Walberg.  You can read the piece in it's entirety on MLive ​HERE​ 

Michigan's economy is powered by its "Big Three" industries - manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture. Although sometimes overshadowed by the rebirth of manufacturing and the booming success of Pure Michigan ads, the food and agriculture industry is vital to Michigan's comeback. Agriculture in Michigan contributes over $91 billion annually to the state's economy while employing nearly 1 million workers. 
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While agriculture has prospered in Michigan, it remains under constant threat from overregulation and excessive red tape. The Farm Bill presents an opportunity to fix some of the serious problems Michigan farmers face due to Washington's heavy-handed decision making that is based on untested measures instead of sound science.
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A provision in the House Farm Bill called the Sound Science Act would require every federal agency to develop guidelines to maximize the quality of scientific information used by federal agencies. This commonsense legislation has support from both sides of the aisle. Even President Obama has said he supports restoring scientific integrity to government decision making. Farmers in Michigan and across the United States deserve to earn a living that isn't under constant attack from their own government.
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While no bill is perfect, ensuring The Sound Science provision is included in the Farm Bill conference report would help the economy by removing unnecessary and unfounded regulatory roadblocks. Americans everywhere should expect their government to use scientific data that is peer-reviewed and follows a well established scientific process. This conference report affords Congress the opportunity to make sure that happens.