RODNEY BAKER

H.R. 3098 to restore farm truck exemptions from federal motor carrier vehicle regulations.

Immigration - Thanking Senator Lincoln and her staff for the hard work and long hours and dedication they presented in an effort to develop a comprehensive immigration reform.

Comprehensive Energy Bill

U.S. -Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) - the goal is to increase U.S. agriculture exports and increase market share.

FY08 Labor, HHS and Education spending. Perkins Amendment (federal funding for FFA and career and technical education).

H.R. 1495 the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) - conference report - Title VIII of the legislation includes authorization for the Corps of Engineers to construct new 1,200 foot locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers H.R. 1495 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) - the WRDA provisions to modernize the locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are essential if U.S. agriculture is going to remain competitive in the global marketplace.

Farm Bill: tax title, reductions in direct payments, counter-cyclical revenue option, senate ag committee markup on farm bill, amendments seeking further reform to payment limits and adjusted gross income restrictions. FY08 Agriculture Appropriations Bill - (Sec. 738) amendment to prohibit USDA from spending money for health inspection of horses. H.R. 3161, the FY08 Ag spending bill - amendments: King/Kingston amendment to strike Sec. 738. It would limit USDA authority for equine health inspection, effectively restricting the movement of all horses; Ackerman amendment prohibits funding for Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspections in facilities that process nonambulatory or downer livestock; Whitfield-Spratt-Rahall-Chandler amendment to restrict USDA inspection of horses intended for processing for human consumption. Payment Limits.

Immigration - Thanking Senator Lincoln and her staff for the hard work and long hours and dedication they presented in an effort to develop a comprehensive immigration reform.

H.R. 3098 to restore farm truck exemptions from federal motor carrier vehicle regulations.

U.S. -Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) - the goal is to increase U.S. agriculture exports and increase market share.

Comprehensive Energy Bill

FY08 Agriculture Appropriations Bill - (Sec. 738) amendment to prohibit USDA from spending money for health inspection of horses. H.R. 3161, the FY08 Ag spending bill - amendments: King/Kingston amendment to strike Sec. 738. It would limit USDA authority for equine health inspection, effectively restricting the movement of all horses; Ackerman amendment prohibits funding for Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspections in facilities that process nonambulatory or downer livestock; Whitfield-Spratt-Rahall-Chandler amendment to restrict USDA inspection of horses intended for processing for human consumption. Payment Limits. Farm Bill: tax title, reductions in direct payments, counter-cyclical revenue option, senate ag committee markup on farm bill, amendments seeking further reform to payment limits and adjusted gross income restrictions.

FY08 Labor, HHS and Education spending. Perkins Amendment (federal funding for FFA and career and technical education).

H.R. 1495 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) - the WRDA provisions to modernize the locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are essential if U.S. agriculture is going to remain competitive in the global marketplace. H.R. 1495 the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA) - conference report - Title VIII of the legislation includes authorization for the Corps of Engineers to construct new 1,200 foot locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers

H.R 1495 Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA). The bill would authorize the U.S. Corps of Engineers to construct new 1,200 foot locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River. Two amendments: (1) Feingold Climate Change Amendment requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider the effects of global warming, particularly in the consideration of flood control projects and (2) Feingold Project Prioritization Amendment sets standards for priorities on Corps projects. S. 1150 interstate shipment of state inspected meat. Would eliminate the prohibition on interstate shipment of state inspected meat and poultry.

S. 311 and H.R. 503 The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. It would close the equine processing facilities currently operating in the U.S., eliminating the only market for unwanted, unmanageable and neglected horses.

Emergency war supplemental funding bill. The spending measure includes the agricultural disaster assistance provision, extension of the MILC program and 2007 peanut storage and handling funding. FY2008 Budget - Provide additional funding for agriculture spending in the FY08 budget resolution: Payment limits - amendment by Senator Grassley and Senator Dorgan. It will limit farm payments to $250,000 per person per year and apply the approximate $100 million per year saving ($1billion over 10 years) to conservation, nutrition, renewable energy and rural development. Food and Agriculture Risk Management for the 21st Century Act (FARM 21). The bill primarily focused on transitioning the current farm subsidy of risk management accounts, while increasing funding for conservation and nutrition programs.

Federal Minimum Wage. Senator Chambliss may offer an amendment to the minimum wage bill that would permit growers using the H-2A program to pay a prevailing wage instead of the adverse effect wage rate, to satisfy the wage requirements of that program.

Senate Immigration Bill - Numerous Amendments: Vitter amendment would strike Title VI. Title VI established the Z-A visa that would provide legal status to agricultural workers and permit the opportunity to apply for permanent residents status. Allard amendment (S.A. 1189) would strike language which provides an extra 50 points for Z-visa holders seeking permanent resident status, including 25 points if the holder works in agriculture for 3-5 more years. Cornyn amendment (S.A. 1184)would expand the types of crimes that would permanently bar undocumented immigrants from obtaining legal status. Menendez amendment (S.A. 1194) would move the cut off date for those currently awaiting green cards from Jan. 1, 2005 to Jan. 1, 2007. Dodd amendment (S.A. 1199) would more than double the number of green cards available under the bill for the parents of citizens. Clinton, Hagel amendment (S.A. 1183) would eliminate a numerical cap on the visas available to the spouses and minor children of U.S. permanent legal residents. Obama amendment (S.A. 1202) would sunset the point system after five years. Dorgan amendment (S.A. 1267) would eliminate the requirement that Y-1 visa holders must leave the U.S. before they are able to renew their visas.

H.R. 661 and S. 394 The Food Safety and Downed Animal Protection Act would restrict the professional judgment of veterinarians and USDA personnel by banning the processing of all nonambulatory regardless of species, reason or health including those fatigued, tired, or resting in a recumbent position.

IRS Notice 2006-108; Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Payments will be subject to Self-Employment taxes. H.R. 1023. Repeals the 3% withholding requirement passed last year (a part of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005). Death Tax Bill. Representative Hulshop's bill will repeal the sunset clause in the law so that when death tax repeal takes place in 2010, it will be permanent.

Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) - Superfund) - to clarify that manure is not considered a hazardous substance or pollutant under the Act.

S. 1190 Broadband legislation. Encourages the rapid deployment of high-quality, affordable broadband Internet service, especially in rural areas.

Interior Appropriations bill - Representative John Salazar (D-Colo.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) amendment would overturn a recent Bureau of Land Management decision allowing natural gas drilling atop Colorado's Roan Plateau. Representative John Peterson (R-Pa.) amendments will authorize natural gas and oil drilling on the outer continental shelf.

Clean Water Act - James Oberstart Amendment expands its jurisdiction.