American Agri-Women

Legislative Positions

• American Agri-Women has a long history of working with Congress and state legislatures in support of agriculture.  View our legislative positions on a wide range of issues that impact American agriculture.

Legislative Updates

• Legislative Updates will provide you with the weekly Congressional agendas.

Action Alert Summary

• Action alerts are issued for legislative matters where grassroots action is needed. We subscribe to VoterVoice which makes it very easy to take action on an issue. Go to the "Grassroots Advocacy Center" button under "Legislation" to take action now on climate change legislation and the estate tax bill.

1. The House has recently passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454), and Senate action is expected soon. American Agri-Women believes that any climate change legislation must directly address increased input costs and the potential to force fertilizer production and petroleum refining overseas, where competitors are not regulated.

2. On December 3, by a vote of 225-200, the House passed HR 4154 sponsored by Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), which makes permanent the 2009 estate tax rates and exemption threshold. The bill sets a 45 percent maximum tax rate on estates valued over $3.5 million for individuals and $7 million for married couples. The estate tax is currently set to be repealed for one year in 2010, returning in 2011 with a tax rate of 55 percent and an exemption lowered to $1 million. Pomeroy claims that 99.75 percent of individual families will be exempt from any estate tax under his bill.

Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA), who introduced an agriculture-specific estate tax bill in July, HR 3524, which would exclude from gross estate value property that is used by a decedent for farming purposes, supported the Pomeroy bill. Thompson’s support of HR 4154 is likely a realization by the Congressman that HR 3524 will not be considered for a vote by the entire House.

HR 4154 has been received by the Senate where it awaits possible action.

We in agriculture must communicate with our Senators, to let them know that a climate change bill is bad for almost all of us in agriculture when it causes increases in fuel, fertilizer and energy costs, so please do this quickly by going to our Grassroots Advocacy Center. And also contact them and tell them it is important to pass estate tax legislation that includes an individual exemption of $5 million to $10 million, indexed for inflation.