9/29/2016
So Much Time, So Few Days
The Society of American Florists
Although the year 2016 is more than half over, to most of the working world there’s plenty of time left to produce and finish projects. But that’s not the case in Washington.
Congress operates on schedules of its own making. It may be late August as of this writing, but the House of Representatives is scheduled to work only 29 days the rest of the year. The Senate’s work schedule—43 days—is gargantuan by comparison.
Compounding lawmakers’ limited work schedule is Washington’s finely-tuned mastery of moving at a snail’s pace and its insatiable appetite for political bickering.
There’s precious little time to accomplish a lot of work.
The House and Senate both returned from recess, or “district work period,” after Labor Day. Facing them when they returned was the most basic of congressional responsibilities—funding the government. That's just one of the many pressing issues that have piled up.
The 2017 federal fiscal year begins on October 1. By that date, appropriations bills that fund federal agencies and departments must be enacted into law or there will be no money available and the government will shut down. Of the 12 appropriations bills that fund the government, thus far none have been passed.
It’s a virtual certainty that Congress will be unable to pass all 12 appropriations measures by September 30. It’s possible that they may manage to pass some, but even that’s an open question. Traditionally, the appropriations bill that pays for military construction has been a popular model of bipartisan cooperation that speeds through the process. After all, the bill pays for many projects in states and congressional districts throughout the country.
This year, the measure slogged through the House and Senate, was finally approved by the House, but was filibustered in the Senate where it stalled. That’s not a good omen.
The options are stark: By midnight September 30, Congress will have to pass all 12 appropriations bills and have them signed into law by President Obama. Or Congress could pass some of the appropriations bills and fund the rest of the government with an omnibus bill, packaging several together as one bill. A third option is to pass a continuing resolution—a measure that funds activities at current levels for a specific time period. Absent those, the government shuts down.
A government shutdown in the midst of a bitter presidential campaign when control of the Senate is up for grabs is not what Republicans want, since it would be seen as helping the Democrats in November.
As to other legislation beyond the appropriations bills, Speaker Ryan has said he doesn’t want the House to consider any significant legislation in a lame duck session (the time period between congressional elections in November and when the next Congress is sworn in in January 2017), but it may become inevitable.
In short, look for a lot of heat, but not a lot of light coming from Washington.
Representative Visits N.H. Grower to Talk Issues
In Loudon, New Hampshire, Doug Cole and his team at D.S. Cole Growers recently hosted a congressional guest.
Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) toured the business and talked to Cole about regulatory and policy issues affecting his business, including immigration reform, health care reform, the minimum wage and energy use.
Cole, a frequent participant in the Society of American Florists’ Congressional Action Days, initially wondered what good could come of the visit. Kuster, elected to serve the state’s second congressional district in 2013, is a Democrat, and Cole worried she might be “hostile to business.” That turned out not to be the case, he said.
“She did a good job of [persuading] me that she had many of our interests in mind, such as immigration reform,” he explained, adding that Kuster—whose office initiated the visit—sits on the influential House Committee on Agriculture. “We discussed the importance of specialty crops funding. She brought it up before I did.”
The short visit is great news for the floral industry, said Shawn McBurney, SAF’s senior director of government
relations.
“Anytime a lawmaker takes the time to visit a business, it’s an opportunity to make a connection and provide that legislator and his or her staff with real world information that they can take back to Washington and reflect on when it comes time to cast an important vote.”
For information on how to schedule a visit by a member of Congress to your operation, or to find out more about support materials and issue papers SAF has available for all members, contact McBurney at
smcburney@safnow.org.
USDA Announces Research Dollar for Specialty Crops
New federal funding to support research important to the floriculture industry has been announced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
Nineteen projects totaling $36.5 million funded under the USDA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) will help growers of specialty crops, which include floral and nursery crops as well as fruits, vegetables and nuts. The SCRI grants are funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, supported by both SAF and AmericanHort.
Two projects have implications for floral and nursery crops:
l Protecting Pollinators with Economically Feasible and Environmentally Sound Ornamental Horticulture: This $2.85 million research project will assist regulators and the industry protect pollinators when making decisions about use and availability of pesticides.
l Identifying Knowledge Gaps and Novel Management Strategies for Downy Mildew: $50,000 was awarded to support collaboration among researchers, extension specialists and growers to develop new sustainable and economically viable options for dealing with downy mildew diseases of horticulture crops.
SCRI funds projects to address research and extension needs that span the entire spectrum of specialty crops production from researching plant genetics to improving crop characteristics; identifying and addressing threats from pests and diseases; improving production and profitability; developing new production innovations and technologies; and developing methods to respond to food safety hazards.
New Partnership to Advance “Major Policy Priorities” in Washington
A new partnership between the Society of American Florists (SAF) and Cornerstone Government Affairs ensures that SAF will continue its highly effective work advocating for issues that affect the floral industry.
“SAF and Cornerstone together provide experienced voices on Capitol Hill to protect our growers’ interests,” said Peter Moran, SAF CEO. “We’ll continue to move major policy priorities forward on behalf of small business and agriculture.”
Cornerstone is a public affairs firm specializing in government relations, strategic consulting and advocacy. Its team of more than 50 senior professionals includes former senior professional staff from both authorization and appropriations committees and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as veterans of the horticulture industry.
Agricultural and horticultural issues of primary concern to SAF members include access to labor, immigration, crop protection, international trade and other matters related to the day-to-day operations of growers.
SAF’s immediate focus will be on advocacy to increase research funding for the floriculture industry, through the Farm Bill and the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative; improved access to crop protection and production tools; and addressing import regulation challenges. Cornerstone will also advise SAF on regulatory issues affecting immigration.
In addition, Cornerstone will represent SAF on USDA-APHIS regulatory issues, including customs and border patrol, pests and diseases, and support efforts to innovate and sustain crop production tools, including biotechnology.
GT
“SAF in the Lobby” is produced by the Society of American Florists, Tel: (703) 836-8700 or (800) 336-4743; Fax: (703) 836-8705; or visit the SAF Web site: www.safnow.org. For more information on legislative issues, contact the Government Relations Department.