Minority News

WASHINGTON, DC – Following news of the collapse of MF Global, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, which has jurisdiction over the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), sought clarification on the role of CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler in actions regarding MF...

WASHINGTON, DC – Still working to prevent fall-out from EPA’s costly pesticide permitting rule implemented November 1, 2011, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) introduced an amendment to H.R. 872 to provide a two-year moratorium on implementation of the rule and called on the Senate Majority Leader to hotline it. “While I would...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Nutrition and Forestry, released the following statement today after submitting a letter with leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction: “While I have strong concerns...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Obama's debt plan. "The agriculture community remains willing to do its part in getting...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said committee members must take a careful look at fruit and vegetable programs in the new Farm Bill to ensure they are helping growers remain competitive in the marketplace.   “My job is to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today focused on the one-year anniversary of the Dodd-Frank bill being signed into law and the challenges that lay ahead in implementing it for Mark Wetjen, the nominee to sit on the U.S. Commodity Futures...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today praised the Department of Agriculture for approving his request for emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) CP25 acreage to provide an important feed option for Kansas producers during this...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced a field hearing will be held in Wichita, Kansas on Thursday, August 25 to discuss reauthorization of the Farm Bill.  “I’m pleased to host the next Farm Bill field hearing in Wichita, right in the...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said the government is attacking the multi-billion dollar livestock industry with too many regulations, which will have far reaching implications on the economy worldwide.  “The livestock sector...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, released the following statement today after learning of the Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) assurance to farmers along the flooded Missouri River that crop insurance will cover any damages caused by the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today applauded the committee passage of a House-passed pesticides bill that will remove regulatory burdens on producers and public health agencies.   “I have urged Chairwoman Stabenow to take action on...

EAST LANSING, MI - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today joined Chairwoman Deborah Stabenow (D-MI) at a committee field hearing in East Lansing, Michigan on reauthorization of the Farm Bill. The field hearing is entitled "Opportunities for Growth, Michigan and the 2012 Farm...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, requesting answers to questions submitted by members of the Senate Agriculture Committee at a hearing eight months ago that remain...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today sent a letter signed by all Republican members of the Committee, to Chairwoman Deborah Stabenow (D-MI) calling on her to bring up and have the committee approve the House-passed bipartisan pesticide regulation bill,...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Ranking Member and Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee today sent a bipartisan letter to Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou regarding recent efforts to restrict U.S. beef exports to Taiwan.   The letter was signed by U.S. Senators Rob Portman...

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today introduced legislation to eliminate a burdensome, costly and redundant permit requirement for applications of pesticides.   "This double layer of red tape will cost producers and consumers. It also takes aim at public...

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said the nation's energy strategy should include development of domestic energy resources and comprehensive agriculture policies encouraging global stability.   Senator Roberts made the remarks at an Agriculture...

WASHINGTON, DC - At a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee on implementation of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform derivatives regulations, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Ranking Member, today said regulations must lower systemic risk and avoid creating unnecessarily high risk management costs for producers and businesses.   Witnesses at the...

WASHINGTON, DC - Attending his first Senate Agriculture Committee hearing as ranking member, Senator Roberts today said America's farmers and ranchers are critical to the U.S. and global economies and that he would work to ensure producers have the tools they need to meet the food and nutrition demands of a growing global population.   Today's...

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today released the following statement on the President's FY 2012 Budget Proposal:   "The administration has once again dusted off old proposals aimed at pitting farmers against farmers," Roberts said. "Thankfully, Congress...