Op-Ed

When I’m visiting with farmers and producers on my Feenstra Agriculture Tour, excessive overreach by the federal government is a topic of great concern. From proposed bans on pesticides to unworkable green energy mandates, our producers face higher costs, more red tape, and ridiculous regulations that squeeze their bottom line and hurt our economy. There is no more glaring example than President Biden’s expansive and intrusive Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.

The long-term success of American agriculture depends on robust access to new and developing markets. As the breadbasket to the world, our farmers grow and raise far more product than we can consume and use here at home. Therefore, we must actively work to open new export markets for American agriculture and eliminate trade barriers – both tangible and intangible – that prevent our agricultural goods from reaching foreign markets.

There are approximately 50,000 active police K9s in the United States. These highly trained dogs help seize drugs, sniff out explosives, detain criminals, locate missing people, and uncover forensic evidence at crime scenes.

This week is National Agriculture Week – a time to recognize, celebrate, and thank the hardworking men and women who feed and fuel our country and the world. Our farmers and producers work long hours in all kinds of weather to grow and raise the food that we put on our tables, the feed that we use for our livestock, and the fuel that we put in our cars, trucks, and tractors. We retain the cherished status as the breadbasket to our country and the world because of the sacrifice, dedication, and long-held traditions of our farmers and their families.

Under President Biden’s open-border policies, the work of our brave border patrol agents has become increasingly difficult, but even more consequential. More than 7.2 million illegal immigrants have unlawfully crossed our southern border, which doesn’t include the 1.8 million recorded gotaways who slipped through the cracks. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has also apprehended over 340 people whose names appear on the terrorist watch list and another 20,000 Chinese nationals – some of whom have direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

The number and severity of unprecedented challenges our nation faces are growing at a time when our capacity to address them is declining.

Economically, Americans continue to see their cost of living rise relentlessly in the face of inflation. Homeownership is increasingly unaffordable for most Americans, with 99% of America’s counties seeing a new peak in housing costs as climbing interest rates and a lack of housing supply make buying a home, or even renting one, increasingly out-of-reach.

We’re all familiar with the grief and pain that comes with losing a loved one. Whether a death is unexpected or occurs after a long battle with an illness, families must make funeral arrangements, settle an estate, and manage any outstanding personal or business debts. The last thing families need is an enormous tax bill – known as the death tax – from the federal government after a family death.

As any taxpayer knows, the federal government never misses an opportunity to tax income, assets, earnings, or real estate. Family farms, small businesses, and other multigenerational enterprises – which sacrifice and invest their time, talent, resources, and energy into their operations – are often the target of the Internal Revenue Service’s army of auditors.