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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 4/23/13
U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre recently urged the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to help our rural economy.
Congressman McIntyre stated, “North Carolina’s rural communities are the backbone of our state’s economy, and it is critical that we do all we can to help rural North Carolina grow and thrive. I recently submitted a series of questions and concerns to Secretary Vilsack in order to make him aware of the issues facing our state. I am 1000% committed to keep doing all I can to help create jobs, provide infrastructure, open trade markets, and deal with the impacts of budget cuts in rural North Carolina.”
McIntyre, who is the #2 Ranking Member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, wrote Secretary Vilsack a letter that touched on a myriad of issues facing Rural America including:
· infrastructure and waste/waste water projects;
· the effect of sequestration on USDA rural development questions;
· lack of infrastructure needed to grow and sustain rural communities;
· importance of high speed Internet for rural America; and
· lack of access to capital for rural communities .
Below, please find the full text of Congressman McIntyre’s questions for Secretary Vilsack:
1) Mr. Secretary, thank you for the work you have done to focus on the economy of rural America. One major issue facing my district and most of rural America is the lack of adequate infrastructure that is necessary for our rural communities to compete in the global economy. For instance the backlog of pending applications for USDA Rural Developments water/waste water projects is $3.2 billion. I have worked to include mandatory funding for this backlog in the Farm Bill. How will your department work to address this issue?
2) Now that the $85 billion in sequester cuts have taken effect, how will USDA’s Rural Development programs be impacted, and how will you minimize the impact of the sequester on rural communities?
3) Rural development stakeholders in my district are concerned that many rural communities in NC lack the infrastructure needed to grow or even sustain businesses and industries in their communities. As a result, they are losing population as many younger folks leave to find jobs, and this in turn further slows economic growth. This is true for the family farm as well – up-and-coming generations are moving away and farms that have traditionally been family-owned are being sold to corporations or developers. What are USDA’s plans to continue to help rural committees secure jobs and promote economic development moving forward?
4) Livestock and meatpacking are both major industries in my district. The livestock products in my district have a market value greater than $2 billion annually, and the largest meat processing facility in the world is located in Bladen County. The people who work and depend on these industries are middle class Americans with families, who have mortgages and bills to pay every month. I am concerned by the impact that sequestration will have on FSIS frontline inspectors. You previously indicated that inspectors might be furloughed up to 15 days because of sequestration. When these inspectors are furloughed, the meat processing facilities cannot run, and the employees and farmers do not get paid.
a. Absent any changes to the statute that triggered sequestration, what, if any, administrative tools are available to mitigate the impact of sequestration on the furloughing of FSIS inspectors and the impact to the meat processing industry? Could inspectors be furloughed on a staggered schedule, such that processing activities are perhaps slowed, but not completely disrupted? If not, could inspectors be furloughed for half days, spaced over several months, to prevent complete disruptions?
b. What is the practical timeline for when all of this will take place? It is important that companies and growers have time to plan and prepare for this.
c. How can Congress and the affected industries assist you in fixing this problem?
5) Can you relay any suggestions you have for livestock producers who may be dealing with more livestock than they have barn space now that the sequester has gone into effect and meat inspectors are set to be furloughed? This is a question I’ve been getting from producers in NC, who operate under very tight schedules on how they move their livestock. Typically they have a date scheduled with the packer to receive their hogs. Then they spend about two days cleaning, sanitizing and drying barns before the next group of livestock move in. I’m concerned that if a furlough situation continues for two or three days that there will be no place to put these livestock, and this could pose a huge biosecurity and welfare risk for livestock producers.
6) Many rural development stakeholders in my district have expressed concern that a large number of key personnel in state Rural Development offices will soon be retiring. How will you address the issue of replacing the critical staff (such as engineers) in these offices as they retire?
7) Back in 2010, you were kind enough to join me in my congressional district to announce almost $20 million in USDA federal funds for Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation (LREMC) for rural broadband services. The announcement brought broadband to 27,000 people in my district, 1,600 businesses and 100 community institutions, and it created or saved 51 jobs. Going forward, what is the potential for USDA investments in broadband given our national budget situation?
8) In his “Outlook for Agriculture in 2013” address, USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber discussed an expected drop in commodity prices. How will this impact the livestock industry going forward, and will it spur more planting in non-grain crops like tobacco cotton and peanuts?
9) In rural communities, there are many challenges to capital access. Does the lack of capital call for a continued commitment in rural development programs that offer capital to rural business owners?
10) What is your team doing to resolve China and Russia’s decisions to enforce zero-tolerance standards for trace amounts of ractopamine, which has effectively banned US beef, pork and turkey imports in those countries?
11) Your efforts as chair of the White House rural council have made improving the rural economy a priority. I appreciate your efforts to better coordinate federal agencies efforts in rural America. What plans do you have for the White House rural council moving forward and how will you ensure rural stakeholders are able to provide input?
12) Nearly a year ago, FSIS issued its proposed rule on Modernization of Poultry Inspection. According to USDA's data, establishments operating under the HIMP pilot program perform as well as, or better than, traditionally inspected plants. Furthermore, the rule will create additional poultry plant jobs, and will have substantial budgetary savings for FSIS. Can you give us an update on when USDA plans to issue the final rule?
13) I’m also concerned about how certain green building standards, especially the US Green Building Council’s LEED system, affects our rural economies. As you’re aware, the LEED system discourages the use of forest products—which is not good for states like North Carolina—where the forest products industry is the 4th largest industry and employs over 60,000 people, many of whom are in rural communities. Recently, I learned that despite this, USDA continues to use the LEED system for its buildings-including a recent building on the Mars Hill ranger station in my home state. Why is USDA using a green building system that discourages the use of forest products—are you concerned with the impact this could have on rural economies? What is USDA doing to help correct this problem as the Department responsible for supporting rural economies and American agriculture and forestry?
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