BY TAMMIE SLOUP
Trade was top of mind for Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan and the lawmakers he met with on Capitol Hill March 5.
Duncan, along with IFB Director of National Legislation Ryan Whitehouse, met with a significant portion of Illinois’ congressional delegation while in Washington, D.C., to discuss the organization’s policy priorities.
“We carried a consistent message — trade. ... We just continued to talk about how important trade is and that we support free trade agreements, we support USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement). We continued to beat the drum on trade and what it means economically to the members back here in Illinois,” Duncan said.
Illinois is the third largest exporter of agricultural commodities in the U.S. Total exports from Illinois in 2023 were estimated at $81 billion, of which $13.7 billion was attributed to agriculture.
The Trump administration began imposing 25% tariffs on imported goods from Canada and Mexico, as well as an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods on March 4. The president has since announced one-month delays on duties for Mexican and Canadian goods under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement as well as a one-month exemption from the tariffs for autos coming into the U.S. He also lowered tariffs on imported potash from 25% to 10%.
The visit to Capitol Hill also coincided with the president’s address during a joint session of Congress as well as lawmakers’ efforts to draft a funding package before a March 14 government shutdown.
Movement on a new farm bill has been slow as Republicans focus on a spending package that puts into play President Donald Trump’s agenda, including an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
“We had some pretty frank discussions about the reality of the farm bill and movement, or lack of movement,” Duncan said. “The tax packaging seems to be taking priority, and we want to see some of those tax reductions extended. So we shared that message.
“We also continued to hit on biofuels and talk about making sure we get a good place for domestic feedstocks in the next generation biofuels.”
Discussions also touched on the need for year-round, nationwide E15 and the economic assistance Congress approved late last year, which has a March 21 deadline for the start of distribution of the $10 billion in aid. Duncan said his messaging focused on the need to ensure the staffing and resources are in place to roll out that funding.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins also spoke during an American Farm Bureau Federation board meeting, which Duncan attended.
“She heard pretty loud and clear from the state presidents that the tariffs were problematic for us, and she repeated her pledge that she’s made before, that there would be compensation payments to producers if these tariffs are damaging,” Duncan said. “So then the next question is, with all the budget discussions going on, where’s that money coming from? How does it get allocated? Who implements it? You know, I’ve heard from some members that are concerned about staffing at local FSA offices and NRCS, and so we shared those concerns. We just want to make sure rural America is remembered by this administration amidst all of their policy actions.”
Duncan said he believes Rollins will be a good advocate for agriculture and she wants to be an engaged voice for the American farmer in the White House.
Following the meetings with lawmakers, Duncan said there’s a lot of moving pieces on Capitol Hill.
“The Ag Committee members that I met with, they understand they’ve got a job to get done, and we remain optimistic,” Duncan said. “We’ve got to keep messaging the importance of the farm bill. We’ve got to keep it on people’s plates, even if they want to take it off the plate. That’s our job. And we heard that, whether it was meeting with the congressional representatives or even Secretary Rollins, they said you guys have got to keep telling your story. You’ve got to keep reaching out, you’ve got to keep communicating.
“I know we’re going to be very busy this year, continuing to message our priority issues and not let them get lost. And that certainly begins with the farm bill.”
Duncan and Whitehouse had meetings with the following lawmakers and their staff: U.S. Reps Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro; Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap; Eric Sorensen, D-Moline; Mary Miller, R-Oakland, Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville; Robin Kelly, D-Chicago; and Jonathan Jackson, D-Chicago.