|
NFU Offers Comments on CFTC Reauthorization to Senate Ag Committee |
 |
 |
 |
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2013
Contact: Melisa Augusto, 202-314-3191
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dan McEvily, 202-314-3104
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
WASHINGTON (May 1, 2013) – Today National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry regarding the upcoming reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
“Farmers are at the core of our rural economy and are helping to drive our nation’s economic recovery,” said Johnson. “Another commodity price bubble or a sudden collapse would be difficult for many farmers to weather. A reauthorized and energized CFTC will help to bring stability to the levels of commodity price volatility that are so damaging to Farmers Union members.”
The letter urged the committee to consider increasing penalties for violators, investigating the ill effects of high frequency trading, limiting the role of index funds in the commodity markets, and curbing excessive speculation.
“At the time of their creation, commodity markets were designed to serve as a tool for commercial end-users and hedgers to mitigate price and uncertainty risks faced in their enterprises,” said Johnson. “The commodity markets were – and still should be – used to establish fair prices according to supply and demand fundamentals. Unfortunately, massive positions held by speculators and a culture of deregulation has distorted these markets.”
Both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees are expected to consider reauthorization of the CFTC throughout 2013.
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.
-30- |
|
|
NFU Joins Coalition Urging Court To Reimpose Limits On Excessive Commodity Speculation |
|
|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2013
Contact: Melisa Augusto, 202-314-3191
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dan McEvily, 202-314-3104
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
WASHINGTON (April 22, 2013) – National Farmers Union (NFU), as a part of the Commodity Markets Oversight Coalition (CMOC), a broad coalition of associations representing Main Street businesses, in filing an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia in support of a Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) rule that would limit speculative trading in commodities.
The 2010 Dodd-Frank Act required the CFTC to quickly adopt speculative position limits for all energy futures and swaps and report back to lawmakers on their impact after the limits had been imposed for one year. Accordingly, the CFTC approved a final rule on Oct. 18, 2011 that would have imposed speculative position limits on futures and swaps for 28 listed commodities.
Last September, a District Court judge, responding to a legal challenge by Wall Street groups, vacated the rule citing an “ambiguous” Congressional mandate and CFTC’s failure to determine if it should have made a finding of necessity before promulgating the final rule
In its amicus brief, the CMOC supports the CFTC’s position that Congress mandated a rule setting speculative position limits, citing nearly a decade of Congressional investigations and dozens of hearings into the matter. During that time, lawmakers received expert testimony from CMOC members on the harm that excessive speculation was causing their industries and constituent businesses.
“Congress had been gathering evidence for nearly a decade about excessive speculation and had already concluded that [excessive speculation] constituted an undue burden on interstate commerce,” the coalition said in the brief. “Congress had studied and identified a serious crisis that it wanted remedied quickly, and therefore mandated position limits.”
The coalition also pointed to the requirement by Congress that regulators conduct an expedited rulemaking process. Lawmakers also required a study into the effect of position limits one year after they had been imposed.
Given this, “there should be no doubt that Congress was mandating swift and decisive action to end what it believed was a serious problem,” the CMOC said.
Click here to read the coalition’s compelling court brief in its entirety.
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.
-30- |
|
National Farmers Union Reflects on Earth Day |
|
|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2013
Contact: Melisa Augusto, 202-314-3191
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dan McEvily, 202-314-3104
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
“NFU is pleased to see that Americans continue to grow more environmentally conscientious and are actively working to reduce their carbon footprint. In a nation that is often plagued by political gridlock, one issue we can all agree on is the importance of preserving our natural resources and being responsible stewards of our soil, water and air.
“Earth Day serves as an poignant reminder of the need to develop policies that will assist in this mission. This includes programs like the Rural Energy for America Program and Biomass Crop Assistance Program. We also need to focus on ethanol and other energy sources, which displace millions of barrels of oil with clean, renewable energy.
“We should also use this time to reflect on the contributions of America’s family farmers and ranchers to preserving our resources and our environment. They are the original environmentalists, working to preserve and cultivate our natural resources while providing the world with the safest, most affordable and most abundant food supply available.
“Every day is Earth Day for America’s family farmers and ranchers.”
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.
-30- |
|
NFU Hails WFO Trade Policy Adoption |
|
|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2013
Contact: Melisa Augusto, 202-314-3191
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dan McEvily, 202-314-3104
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
WASHINGTON (April 17, 2013) – National Farmers Union (NFU) is applauding the World Farmers Organisation (WFO) for adopting its first policy on international trade. The historic policy was adopted during the WFO’s third General Assembly in Niigata, Japan this week.
“The WFO is committed to the pursuit of ambitious trade policy objectives and the reinforcement of the global agricultural trading system so that we can operate in a fair, transparent and predictable trading environment,” the policy noted.
Among its key policy objectives, the WFO body highlighted the need for country-of-origin labeling requirements that allow countries to distinguish their products without distorting trade.
“America’s farmers, ranchers and livestock producers take great pride in making high-quality products available to consumers, who are demanding more information about from where their food comes,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “We are pleased that the WFO recognizes the importance of country-of-origin labeling and has incorporated the principle into its trade policy.”
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 57 countries, including Canada and Mexico, require some form of country-of-origin labeling for food. These countries account for 94 percent of U.S. trading activity for food and animals.
Also in attendance at the event alongside Johnson were Secretary of the NFU Board of Directors and Minnesota Farmers Union President Doug Peterson, North Dakota Farmers Union President Woody Barth, Montana Farmers Union President Alan Merrill, Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darin Von Ruden and NFU General Counsel Dave Velde. NFU Vice President of International Relations Robert Carlson serves as president of WFO. The General Assembly concludes April 18.
The WFO brings together national agricultural producer organizations and farmer-owned cooperative organizations to create policies and advocate on world farmers’ behalf, in order to improve the economic situation and livelihood of producers, their families and their rural communities. For more information on the WFO, please visit www.WFO-OMA.org.
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.
-30- |
|
NFU Hails Recent Progress in Agriculture Labor Policy |
|
|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2013
Contact: Melisa Augusto, 202-314-3191
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dan McEvily, 202-314-3104
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
WASHINGTON (April 17, 2013) – National Farmers Union (NFU) Vice President of Government Relations Chandler Goule released a statement following the announcement of a new bipartisan employer and worker agreement on reform legislation intended to ensure a legal, stable agricultural workforce:
“NFU is pleased by yesterday’s agreement between the Agricultural Workforce Coalition (AWC) and the United Farm Workers on legislation to ensure a stable and legal workforce. NFU is a participating organization in the Agricultural Workforce Coalition, which has worked for months to negotiate a reasonable agreement with the United Farm Workers.
“NFU’s member-adopted, grassroots policy urges that ‘our immigration system must be flexible enough to address the needs of businesses while protecting the interests of workers.’ The legislative language, as unveiled by the bipartisan group of Senators who have been advancing immigration reform policy, achieves those goals.
“NFU will continue to pursue reforms that provide a documented and legal means for allowing immigrants to work on U.S. farms and ranches. Such a system will benefit both farm owners and workers and is an important improvement on the status quo.”
National Farmers Union has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership.
-30- |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 4 of 9 |
