Source: US Rep. David Rouzer, 1/5/18

Providing for our farm families
The great state of North Carolina is blessed to be one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the country – making agriculture our number one economic driver.  Unfortunately, North Carolina farm families have been facing many challenges over the past few years.  In fact, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, farm income has fallen 50% during the past six years.  For all of these reasons, I take my role on the House Agriculture Committee very seriously.  Every one of us should care about production agriculture.  After all, I know of no one who does not need to eat to survive.  Without a proper safety net, farm families go out of business.   
This past year, the House Agriculture Committee held 30 hearings to discuss policy solutions to deliver relief and address the challenges faced by our farm families.  Through our tax reform package, we were able to achieve tax cuts across the board, significantly reduce the estate tax by doubling the exemption, provide full expensing of farm equipment and any other investments to grow and improve their operations, and lower the tax rate for those classified as pass-through businesses and c-corps.

The new tax law helps farmers and any other business classified as a pass-through by implementing a 20% deduction of one’s net income on the first $315,000 of income earned by any business organized as an S corporation, partnership, LLC, or sole proprietorship. 
We’re also working with the Administration to repeal cumbersome regulations, such as Waters of the USA, to ensure that regulations promote – rather than frustrate – efforts to not only feed and clothe the citizens of this country, but the world.

During the past three years, the Agriculture Committee has held 111 hearings – including 6 Farm Bill listening sessions – in order to hear first-hand from our farmers as we work towards a rewrite of the Farm Bill.  Our proposed Farm Bill will seek to strengthen the farm safety net, expand markets, lift families out of poverty by making significant reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (also previously known as the Food Stamp program), reform the regulatory climate, continue to invest in rural businesses, and much more.  

While the 2014 Farm Bill has provided some help for many, the provisions for cotton have been especially inadequate – leaving many cotton growers with practically no safety net.  We are working to ensure that safety net for all farm families is greatly improved to alleviate the uncertainty faced by so many across our country.
Another high priority is to establish stronger disease surveillance and prevention programs, including a U.S. Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank.  An outbreak of FMD in this country would be absolutely devastating to the national economy.  It would affect literally everyone in a significant way.  Protecting our livestock from any possible outbreak is absolutely critical to America.

America’s first line of defense has always been the ability to feed and clothe our citizens.  In my view, there are three areas that are critical to maintaining superiority in the world: a robust military to enhance diplomacy and win any war at any time; sound agriculture policy so that we can clothe and feed ourselves as well as the rest of the world; and, become energy dominant so that we are the world’s primary supplier of all energy.  Of all of these, agriculture is the most fragile and we must have an “America First” policy that has the back of our producers in a global environment where China and others subsidize their producers by significant amounts in order to manipulate the world markets for their own gain. 

Sponsored legislation
Below are the pieces of legislation I have introduced this past year:
H.R. 2420 – Young Savers Accounts Act
• This bill allows for the establishment of Roth IRA-style accounts for young individuals under the age of 26 which can be contributed to by family members, friends or charitable individuals 
H.R. 2419 – Veterans Choice Improvement Act
• This bill improves the process by which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs pays non-VA health care providers to better enable timely payment for services 
H.R. 2179 – Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Act
• This bill holds individuals receiving taxpayer-funded assistance to the same standard as many American workers by requiring individuals to pass a drug screening process in order to be eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Public Housing and Section 8 Rental Assistance Programs 
H.R. 1721 – to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate at least one city in the United States each year as an “American World War II City”, and for other purposes
• Under this bill, the city of Wilmington would be designated as the first “American World War II City” due to their mighty contributions to the war efforts and their amazing accomplishments in preserving the history of World War II 
H.R. 1510 – States’ Education Reclamation Act of 2017
• This abolishes the Department of Education in order to provide maximum flexibility to our local and state education leaders so that they can better meet the needs of our school systems, parents, teachers and students 
H.R. 694 – Stop EPA Overregulation of Rural Americans Act
• This bill nullifies an EPA rule establishing costly new standards for the manufacture of wood heaters to protect consumers and small businesses from increased costs as a result of the rule 
H.Res.232 – Recognizing linemen, the profession of linemen, the contributions of these brave men and women who protect public safety, and expressing support for the designation of April 18, 2017, as National Lineman Appreciation Day
• This bill recognizes the highly skilled profressionals who work everyday to ensure that our energy grid is doing its job to provide power for our families and communities in the event of snow storms, hurricanes and other disasters 

Here to help
It is my honor to serve you and the great people of the 7th District.  If at any time there is anything we can assist you with, please let us know by contacting one of our offices.  You can reach our Brunswick County office in Bolivia at 910-253-6111, our Johnston County office in Four Oaks at 919-938-3040, our New Hanover County office in Wilmington at 910-395-0202, or our Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-2731.