agriculture

Topic and Speakers Announced for AHC’s 4th Quarter Webinar

Posted Oct 27 2017

The following is from the American Horse Council:

Topic and Speakers Announced for 4th Quarter Webinar

Tax Reform and its implications to be discussed

The AHC is pleased to announce the topics and speakers for its 4^th Quarter webinar, which will take place Monday, November 13^th at 3:00 pm ET.

“Will the grass be greener on the other side of Tax Reform?” will be the focus of the webinar, and will feature speakers Danielle Beck, Director of Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA); Liz Minneman, Senior Legislative Assistant to Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY); and Alex Waldrop, President & CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA).

The equine industry and its partners in the agriculture and small business sectors continue to engage Congress and the Administration on key elements of the GOP’s ‘unified framework for tax reform’ that was released on September 27. The AHC feels it is important to provide the industry with some detailed background information as to how this plan will affect them or their business, as well as get insights from other segments of the agriculture industry and Capitol Hill itself.

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Danielle Beck serves as NCBA’s Director of Government Affairs and is the lead lobbyist for a broad policy portfolio, including all legislative and regulatory issues pertaining to tax and credit, nutrition/dietary guidelines, food safety, research, energy and disaster assistance. Danielle also oversees NCBA’s annual appropriations strategy and is the staff liaison to NCBA’s Tax & Credit Policy Committee. Prior to joining NCBA, Danielle represented clients across the food and agriculture sector as a lobbyist for The Russell Group. Before that, she spent five years on Capitol Hill working for Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL), where she managed his work on the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and House Agriculture Livestock Subcommittee Chairmanship.

Liz Minneman is Senior Legislative Assistant to Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) where she handles the Congressman’s tax, health care, housing, and labor portfolios. Prior to coming to Capitol Hill in 2016, Liz was a research associate in economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute, focusing on health care and labor issues. She is a 2015 graduate of the University of Virginia where she earned a dual degree Bachelor’s in American Government and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy. She has contributed to publications including The OECD Journal on Budgeting and TheEconomist, and has made media appearances on Fox News and Al Jazeera.

Alex Waldrop is President & CEO of the NTRA, where he leads the Thoroughbred industry’s national office responsible for matters pertaining to federal legislative advocacy, racing safety and integrity, marketing and promotion of the sport, group purchasing and management of issues of national significance to Thoroughbred racing. Mr. Waldrop is Chair of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium Board of Directors, a Trustee and Treasurer of the American Horse Council, and Chair of the American Horse Council Racing Advisory Committee. Mr. Waldrop spent 13 years with Churchill Downs Incorporated, as President and General Manager of Churchill Downs Racetrack from 1999 to 2002, as General Counsel from 1992 to1998, and as senior vice president, Public Affairs from 2003 to 2004. He is also a former equity partner in the Louisville office of Wyatt Tarrant & Combs where he was the Chair of the firm’s Equine, Gaming & Entertainment Practice Group.

The webinar is open to both AHC members and non-members—we encourage everyone to attend! To register for the webinar, please click here.The webinar lasts approximately one hour, and will allow for Q&A at the end of each speakers presentation. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Furst at afurst@horsecouncil.org. We look forward to having you join us for our final 2017 webinar!

GOP, Equine Industry Canter Toward Tax Reform

Posted Oct 6 2017

The following is from the American Horse Council:

GOP, Equine Industry Canter Toward Tax Reform

The equine industry and its partners in the agriculture and small business sectors continue to engage Congress and the Administration on key elements of the GOP’s “unified framework for tax reform,” released on September 27. While the framework outlines broad themes for reform, AHC and its partners are focusing efforts on repeal of the estate tax, also known as the “death tax,” as a pillar for a 21^st century tax code. Below are summaries of tactics used to move the legislative process forward, and highlights from conversations with congressional and administration officials.

Congress Hears from Small Business, Agriculture
On September 12 – two weeks prior to release of the GOP framework – AHC joined nearly 150 small business groups in a coalition letter to congressional leadership urging full repeal of the estate tax. When the government imposes estate taxes on an equine operation, surviving family partners may be forced to sell equipment and other assets to save the family business. Signatories represent a cross-section of American business, including builders and contractors, grocers, truckers and cattlemen. Advocates emphasized the fact that repeal of the estate tax would not only cost the treasury relatively little revenue in the short term, but ultimately increase tax revenues by $145 billion over a ten year period. Underscoring minimal, short-term impacts on the federal budget is crucial to moving tax reform through the budget reconciliation process, which requires Congress to demonstrate that the new and improved tax code will ultimately achieve deficit reduction.

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“Budget Reconciliation,” a Procedural High Jump
Before moving forward with a tax reform bill, Congress must first pass a federal budget for FY2018 which includes instructions for tax legislation. The process, known as “budget reconciliation,” allows the Senate to pass a bill with 51 votes, therefore bypassing the 60 vote threshold necessary to avoid the filibuster that applies to most legislation. This parliamentary tactic is crucial for tax reform legislation, where Republicans must receive the support of the vast majority of their Senate members to pass a bill. On October 4, AHC joined more than 40 agriculture groups – including the American Farm Bureau Federation and American Veterinary Medical Association – in a letter to Congress expressing support for passage of a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions for tax reform. On October 5, the House of Representatives passed its $1.132 trillion budget, which it claims will achieve $6.5 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years.

Attention now turns to the Senate, which is expected to consider a $1.5 trillion budget during the next four weeks. To make sure lawmakers remain focused on the tax reform process, please call your senators and tell them “to pass a budget today that paves the way for tax reform.” You can contact your senators’ Washington offices by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121.

Status of the Debate
AHC and its partners have met this week with congressional leadership offices and White House staff, who remain optimistic that substantial progress toward tax reform will take place during the weeks ahead. Policy makers have also made it clear that to push tax reform across the finish line, the legislation must include major provisions that bolster the middle class. To that end, officials have underscored the importance of mortgage interest and charitable giving deductibility, the prospect of lower rates through consolidated deductions, and the overall simplicity of a streamlined code. The House Ways and Means Committee has created a template “postcard” to illustrate the taxpayer-friendly approach favored by proponents of reform. To view a copy of the proposed, streamlined tax form, click on the following link: https://waysandmeans.house.gov/tax-form-simple-fit-postcard/.

Horsemen and horsewomen can deliver a timely message by contacting their elected officials and expressing the need to modernize the code in general, and specifically to repeal the outdated death tax . Other issues that will emerge as the debate moves forward will include deductibility of business interest, expensing of depreciable assets, and establishing a top rate of 25% for sole proprietorships, Subchapter S-Corporations, and other small business entities. If you would like more information related to tax reform, please contact Bryan Brendle at bbrendle@horsecouncil.org.

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NIFA Accepting Submissions for 2016 Research Grants

Posted Jun 6 2016

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture supports grants to continue building a foundation of knowledge critical for solving current and future challenges. NIFA is the USDA’s primary extramural agency to advance agricultural sciences. NIFA has funded nearly 300 active equine projects through the 2015- 2016 fiscal year.

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is a competitive grant program that provides funding for fundamental and applied research, education, and Extension projects in agricultural sciences. In their most recent request for applications, NIFA is seeking applications for the Foundational Program for FY 2016. The anticipated amount available for grants in FY 2016 is approximately $130 million.

Land-Grant Institutions, for-profit organizations, individuals, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, small business, State Agricultural Experiment Stations and more are able to apply. Applications are due to NIFA by Wednesday, August 31, 2016. For more information visit the link below.

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