Rep. Spartz’s amendment meant to make farming & food more affordable passes House

Submitted by Office of U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz

Congresswoman Victoria Spartz’s (R-Ind.-05) amendment to exempt large farm tractors, combines, and sprayers from unreasonable EPA emissions standards, such as Diesel Exhaust Fluid, passed the U.S. House on Thursday, April 30 on a bipartisan basis. It was included in the final passage of the Farm Bill.

“I appreciate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who stood with American farmers and consumers to pass this commonsense amendment,” Rep. Spartz said. “While I’m disappointed that some chose to side with large corporate interests over the hardworking families who feed our country, this is a meaningful win for farmers and consumers.”

Under one-size-fits-all EPA regulations, farm diesel engines were swept into burdensome emissions standards, adding unreasonable costs to farmers, causing damaging delays, creating fire hazards, and leading to higher prices at grocery stores. Farm machinery and input costs have surged by 30 percent to 100 percent in just the last five years, pushing food prices higher and putting family farms on the brink of widespread bankruptcies.

Click here to watch the floor debate; click here to read the full text of the amendment.