The Hill Blog: Regulations, Farmers and the Law

The Hill Blog published “Regulations, Farmers and the Law,” an opinion piece by AFBF President Zippy Duvall, on Monday.

“The Regulatory Accountability Act, a bipartisan measure introduced by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), would restore reason to our nation’s regulatory process. Regardless of what anyone believes about a specific issue—safety, health or the environment—the underlying regulatory system should be open, transparent and fair. Today, it isn’t.

“Regulatory reform is a priority for America’s farmers and ranchers, who, in spite of documented environmental improvement, are under siege by federal regulations that have exploded in scope and severity, often in defiance of law. Farmers and ranchers are vulnerable to this regulatory overreach because our work is so connected to natural resources.

“Regulations are necessary, of course, to public health, environmental quality and even market fairness. But, when regulatory actions ignore or surpass the laws on which they are based, the results can be disastrous.”