Where I Stand

Do you know that the U.S. has the safest and most abundant food production in the entire world? I am fighting in Washington to support Utah farmers and U.S. agriculture and to ensure that the U.S. continues to have a safe, abundant food supply.

Unfortunately, the federal government is regulating farmers out of the industry. Not only is this bad for the economy, it also risks our national security by forcing us to turn to foreign countries for our food supply. If you think gas prices are bad, wait until you can’t get food. Ukraine has been supplying ⅓ of the world’s wheat. But exporting wheat isn’t Ukraine’s top priority right now. Supporting U.S. farmers and ranchers is the only way to secure our food supply. If we don’t have a stable and secure domestic food supply, no other government policy matters.

US agriculture should also be a strong exporter. If any country is going to dominate the world in food production, it should be the US. This is one more reason to get the federal government’s foot off the neck of our farmers and ranchers: if we don’t allow our farmers to produce freely, other countries will fill the gap and they will not do it in the same environmentally friendly way.

The far-left’s war on grazing, for example, has had a devastating impact on the environment. Far-left environmental groups have used the federal government to strangle ranching, farming, logging, and the entire agriculture industry. To make matters worse, leftist environmental policies too often destroy ecosystems, natural beauty, and the economic value of our natural resources. They result in increased pollution. The Democrats’ environmental policies too often undermine their own stated objectives.

Let’s face it. So-called environmentalists know far less about how to care for the Earth than the people who depend on a healthy Earth for their livelihoods.

Properly grazing livestock and growing crops are two of the most powerful things we can do to reduce carbon emissions, lower the temperature of the planet, and keep the Earth lush and beautiful. It is estimated that if we properly grazed livestock on even half of the world’s grasslands, that one policy solution would reduce carbon emissions to pre-industrial levels.

During my time in Congress, I’ve been fighting for legislation such as the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which would make it easier for farmers, ranchers, and private foresters to get credit for the environmentally friendly practices that they already have adopted. I’ve sent countless letters to the Administration urging them to honor permits, streamline processes, and make themselves more accountable and accessible to the industry.

My Conservative Climate Caucus is arming fellow Republicans with facts and science to fight the far-left’s destructive climate policies. U.S. agriculture is critical to a healthy planet, U.S. food security, and millions of jobs for hard-working Americans.