Messmer: Trade policy should aid America’s ability to export U.S. grain to global markets 

By U.S. Rep. Mark Messmer 
Republican Party, District 8 

It is a huge honor to represent the citizens of the Eighth District in the upcoming 119th Congress. Agriculture issues are highly important to my district and the State of Indiana. Indiana and the Eighth district are some of the top producers of several agricultural commodities. 

With this in mind, I asked for a position on the House Agriculture Committee, and I am excited to confirm I was selected. It’s also important that we focus on trade policy that enhances our ability to export our grain to markets across the globe and create a level playing field for all our commodities. Our growers have the technology to be the most efficient producers in the world, and our trade policies need to allow them to compete globally. 

Extending provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that impact farmers as well as all small businesses will be a top priority of mine in the 2025 session. 

Our ability to produce the food that our country needs is a national security issue, which justifies the need for a comprehensive farm bill that protects farmers from the unpredictability that mother nature can throw at them. It appears that there will be another extension passed this year during the lame duck session. Getting a new Farm Bill passed in 2025 will be a high priority of mine next session as a member of the Committee on Agriculture. 

We’ve also got to support projects in our state and region that will increase the supply of fertilizer, fuel and other input items that heavily impact the cost of producing grain and livestock. Relying on import of these items was shown to be a risk to our growers during the COVID crisis. 

The fragile nature of our overseas supply chains was quickly brought into focus during the past four years. Reshoring our own capacity to supply the products we need must be a commitment at all levels of our state and national government. 

Another area in need of streamlining in 2025 is the H2A work visa program. Farm operations that are trying to comply with the law should not be dealing with delays of applications due to misinterpreting the rules by federal bureaucrats. 

There also needs to be uniform regional pay rate standards set by the US Dept of Commerce to make sure our state is not unfairly impacted with higher labor costs compared to our neighbors. 

I look forward to finding solutions to these and other farm issues in the next two years.