WASHINGTON, D.C. — A number of agricultural leadership organizations are queuing up in support of the Lower Food and Fuels Costs Act (H.R. 7606) passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on June 16. The measure seeks to bring down prices at the gas pump and in the grocery aisle by giving American farmers the support they need to thrive, according to Democratic Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois. 

“I was proud to vote for additional strong action to bring down costs for working families in Illinois,” Foster said. “By lowering costs for America’s farmers and reducing anti-competitive practices by meatpacking conglomerates, this legislation would lower food costs for American families. This bill would also expand access to lower-cost E-15 gasoline and tap the power of American farmers to help break the grip of foreign autocrats weaponizing the price of oil and gas.”

In order to lower retail gasoline prices for U.S. motorists, the legislation would authorize the Year-Round Fuel Choice Act allowing for ethanol blends of E15 and higher to be sold all year, and the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act, which budgets $500 million over five years for fuel infrastructure grants.

To tackle food prices in the grocery store the bill seeks to lessen fertilizer costs for farmers. This can be accomplished by authorizing the PRECISE Act, which helps family farmers gain access to precision ag technology through existing farm bill provisions, along with a bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide up to $750 million for the USDA-NRCS EQIP conservation program that helps farmers manage their fertilizer usage. Additionally, $100 million would be authorized to support the advancement of U.S.-made fertilizer under the Addressing Fertilizer Shortages Act.

The Lower Food and Fuels Costs Act would also address meat and poultry market competition through authorization of the Butcher Block Act, and establish a new office charged with investigating competition matters within the USDA’s Packers and Stockyards Division. Finally, the Act would serve to launch the Strengthening the Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Act which creates a dedicated task force to shore up the American food supply chain issues and advise Congress on how to best prevent future supply chain challenges. 

“These measures will not only bring relief to American consumers, but also support the family farmers who feed and fuel our country along the way,” said Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) 

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Geoff Cooper was quick to praise the House for passage of H.R. 7606. He was especially happy about the inclusion of a permanent legislative fix for the summertime Reid Vapor Pressure waiver, extending the 1-psi waiver to blends of ten percent or more.

“By expanding the availability of cleaner, more-affordable ethanol blends, this legislation will help deliver immediate economic relief to American families who are feeling unprecedented pain at the pump,” Cooper said. 

The bipartisan bill was supported by Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and others, but most in the Illinois GOP contingent voted against the measure. They included Mike Bost of Murphrysboro, Rodney Davis of Taylorville, Darin LaHood of Peoria and Mary Miller of Oakland. The Illinois Farm Bureau sent letters to all 18 Illinois House members calling on them to vote “yes” on the Lower Food and Fuels Cost Act. 

Most Republicans objected to the separate provisions that would be authorized with the bill’s approval, totaling more than $1 billion in spending.

“Democrats have neglected to take serious action to incentivize increased American production,” stated House Committee on Agriculture ranking member Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Penn.). “In fact, we are here today to debate a bill that compounds the situation, further limiting American farmers’ ability to meet global food demand and doubling down on the idea that more spending and big government will feed the world.”

Saying the bill “does nothing to lower food and fuel costs,” Thompson in turn introduced H.R. 8069, the Reducing Farm Input Costs and Barriers to Domestic Production Act, which requires the Biden administration to reverse its regulatory barriers to domestic agriculture production by providing relief from EPA’s actions on crop protection tools. Thompson’s bill would also provide clarity on WOTUS regulations, rescind the SEC climate rule and require an economic analysis of the costs and benefits of the Packers and Stockyards rule updates, he said. 

In addition, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association spoke out against the inclusion of the Butcher Block Act’s establishment of an investigative USDA panel in the larger package. “Rising food, fuel, and fertilizer prices are hurting cattle producers around the country, but Congress is relentlessly focused on political posturing through this special investigator bill,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. 

“NCBA strongly supports fairness and transparency in the market, but Congress is wasting time with legislative proposals in search of a problem while ignoring real issues impacting cattle producers.” 

The bill was supported by the American Soybean Association for its inclusion of biofuels and precision agriculture provisions. Brad Doyle, ASA president and soybean farmer from Arkansas, said, “ASA applauds the House for recognizing supply chain challenges in agriculture, the role of biofuels as a renewable, home-grown energy source, the importance of improving access to precision agriculture technologies, and the need for additional resources in EQIP for nutrient management.”

After passing the House by a vote of 221-204, National Farmers Union president Rob Larew urged quick Senate passage of H.R. 7606 in order to more quickly assist consumers, farmers and ranchers. 

“Farmers Union members stand firm in their fight against consolidation and corporate monopolies in agriculture, and the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act takes concrete actions to give farmers a leg up,” said Larew. “Now that the House has taken this important step forward, we encourage the Senate to send this to President Biden swiftly. Further efforts to provide greater market transparency, protections for independent farmers and ranchers, and antitrust enforcement, are also needed, but today’s passage of H.R. 7606 is great progress.”