Capital Update – For the Week Ending June 27, 2025

House Committee Approves Bill to Update, Reform CWA

What happened: In a big victory for livestock agriculture, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed a package of bills that update, reform, and streamline the Clean Water Act (CWA), some of the provisions of which have been problematic for livestock producers under various White House administrations.

Among other changes, the “Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act” (H.R. 3898) will:

• Define “agricultural stormwater,” a term undefined in the CWA, to clarify that it applies to both surface and subsurface runoff from agricultural lands, to which inputs such as manure and other sources of essential crop nutrients, crop protectants, and seeds are added – or on which livestock or crops are present and grown, as well as immediately adjacent lands.
• Address duplicative regulatory processes for pesticide applications.
• Make permanent in the CWA that permit limits need to be attainable and within the control of the entity obtaining the permit.

The legislation has the support of House Republican leadership.

NPPC’s take: NPPC joined other livestock and agricultural organizations and business groups in support of the bill and worked with committee staff on drafting language for the legislation.

Why it matters: The “PERMIT Act” will overhaul the CWA permitting process and reduce burdens on permit applicants. Under the current permitting framework, there are unnecessary delays, regulatory uncertainty, and administrative burdens that can hinder agricultural production, conservation, and environmentally beneficial projects.

NPPC, Other Ag Groups Voice Support for Senate Tax Package

What happened: In anticipation of a Senate vote before July 4, a coalition of agricultural organizations, including NPPC, voiced its strong support for the tax package that’s part of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” – the Senate reconciliation legislation.

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID), the farm groups said, “We need the Senate to approve [the Finance Committee’s] provisions as part of the reconciliation process, without delay. … [it] will greatly benefit farmers, ranchers, landowners, and other agricultural businesses across the United States.”

The package extends several provisions of President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which are set to expire or begin phasing out at the end of 2025, including:

• Bonus depreciation, which allows the cost of qualified property to be deducted in the year it is placed into service rather than depreciated over several years. The current deduction of 100% of the cost would be made permanent for property acquired and placed into service on or after Jan. 19, 2025.
• Estate tax exemption, which would be increased to $15 million per individual in 2026 and indexed for inflation thereafter. (The exemption is just under $14 million for tax year 2025.) The value of estates above that amount is subject to a 40% tax when passed to an heir. The exemption is set to revert to $5.49 million at the end of 2025.
• Section 179 expensing, which is limited to vehicles, machinery, and equipment purchased for business use, would be increased to $2.5 million from $1.25 million for 2025 – reduced by the amount qualifying property costs exceed $4 million. Those amounts would be adjusted for inflation for taxable years after 2025.
• Qualified business income deduction (Section 199A), which allows a 20% reduction in certain business income for determining federal tax liability, would be made permanent. The deduction is set to expire at the end of this year.

NPPC’s take: NPPC strongly supports extending and making permanent tax provisions beneficial to pork producers.

Why it matters: The tax provisions in the TCJA, extended and enhanced in the Senate Finance Committee package, provide producers with a fair and reasonable tax policy that will help their profitability, financial stability, growth, and strategic business planning. If the provisions expire, producers would see an increase in their tax liability.

Reforms to H-2A Visa Program Coming?

What happened: The Trump administration wants to reform the H-2A visa program to help farmers deal with an ongoing labor shortage, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told attendees at a recent meeting of the Western Governors’ Association, according to a news source.

Currently, the program only allows foreign agricultural workers into the country for temporary or seasonal work.

Rollins said the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, and Labor will work with Congress to reform the H-2A visa program.

In the meantime, the Labor Department is considering changes to the application process for the visas, according to Rollins.

NPPC’s take: NPPC supports reforms to the H-2A visa program to help agricultural producers with their labor issues. The organization has urged congressional lawmakers to expand the visas to year-round agricultural workers to allow livestock producers access to the program.

Why it matters: Agriculture has been dealing with a shortage of labor for a decade or more. For the pork industry, producers cannot use it for labor needs due to the visas’ seasonal limitation.

Rep. Finstad Recognizes Stevermer’s Term as NPPC President

What happened: On the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN) recognized Minnesota pork producer Lori Stevermer for her successful term as NPPC president and her efforts on behalf of America’s pork producers. Click here to watch the speech.

Stevermer, co-owner of Trail’s End Farm in Easton, Minnesota, in Finstad’s congressional district, served as NPPC president from March 7, 2024, to March 6, 2025. She now is NPPC immediate past president and chair of the organization’s Trade Committee.

“Lori often says, ‘The world is run by the people who show up.’ And, show up she does,” said Finstad in a speech on the House floor.

“The time and effort she invests on behalf of not only Minnesota’s pork producers – but all American pork producers – has helped shape a better business climate, expand American producers’ market access, and promote the benefits of pork to a wide audience,” Finstad added. “Despite handing over the reins as president, I’m confident Lori will continue showing up. That’s the kind of leader she is.”

Finstad, who is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, has one of the top pork-producing congressional districts in the country, with hog operations directly supporting more than 18,000 jobs and generating more than $113 million in personal income.