NPPC’s Stevermer Testifies Before Senate Ag Committee | Greer Confirmed as U.S. Trade Representative | House Budget Resolution Calls for Extending Tax Provisions | Look Ahead: NPPC’s Stevermer at House Ag Hearing

NPPC’s Stevermer Testifies Before Senate Ag Committee

What happened: NPPC President Lori Stevermer, a pork producer from Easton, Minnesota, testified on the state of the U.S. pork industry before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry. It was the second of two hearings examining “Perspectives from the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy.”

Stevermer highlighted the top issue for the U.S. pork industry: California Proposition 12, a state regulation posing an “existential threat” to all of U.S. agriculture. The law prohibits the sale of uncooked whole pork meat from hogs born to sows raised in housing that fails to meet California’s arbitrary and costly standards.

“We must fix the problems caused by Prop. 12, which has increased farmers’ operating costs, created business uncertainty, and raised pork prices at the grocery store,” said Stevermer. “We stand with farmers and consumers across the country, grateful to have the support of both President Trump and former President Biden in clearly and decisively opposing Prop. 12.”

Other pork industry priorities Stevermer discussed included the prevention of foreign animal diseases, ongoing market access and trade issues, and employment challenges, including the need for year-round H-2A visas.

Why it matters: The policies and programs Congress approves can affect pork producers’ ability to continue providing safe, wholesome pork products to consumers worldwide, adding more than $27 billion to the U.S. economy, and supporting more than 573,000 U.S. jobs.

Click here to read Stevermer’s testimony.

Greer Confirmed as U.S. Trade Representative

What happened: Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. Trade Representative, was confirmed by the Senate on a vote of 56-43.

Greer was chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, the Trade Representative in the first Trump administration and was involved in trade talks with China and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which resulted in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Most recently, he was an attorney with the international law firm of King and Spalding.

NPPC’s take: NPPC congratulates Greer on his confirmation as ambassador in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and will work with him to open and expand market access for U.S. pork in countries around the globe.

House Budget Resolution Calls for Extending Tax Provisions

What happened: The House of Representatives approved a fiscal 2025 budget resolution that calls for extending tax provisions included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed during President Trump’s first term in the White House. Many of the TCJA tax provisions are set to expire at the end of this year.

The resolution, approved on a 217-215 vote, requests extension of, among other provisions:

• 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 TCJA increased the amount that can be deducted to 100% of the cost. It is set to phase out to zero by 2027.
• Estate tax exemption, which increased to $11.2 million per individual (indexed for inflation). The value of estates that exceed that amount are subject to a 40% tax when passed to an heir. The amount will revert to $5.49 million at the end of 2025.
• Qualified business income deduction (Section 199A), which allows a 20% reduction in certain business income for determining federal tax liability. It will expire at the end of 2025.

The Senate must approve its own budget measure, and the two chambers will need to reconcile expected differences between the bills.

NPPC’s take: NPPC supports extending the TCJA tax provisions and will continue to advocate for additional tax changes to benefit the U.S. pork industry.

Why it matters: Pork producers rely on effective tax policy for profitability, financial stability, growth, and strategic business planning. If tax provisions in the TCJA are allowed to expire, producers likely would see a substantial increase in their tax liability.

Look Ahead: NPPC’s Stevermer at House Ag Hearing

What: NPPC President Lori Stevermer, a pork producer from Easton, Minnesota, will testify on U.S. pork industry priorities before the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry. The hearing is titled, “The State of the Livestock Industry: Producer Perspectives.”

Stevermer will discuss the policies and programs Congress can approve to support pork producers, including passage of a new Farm Bill, with provisions fixing California’s Proposition 12, protecting livestock agriculture from foreign animal diseases, and funding U.S. agricultural export promotion programs.

Click here to watch the live hearing, beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern time.