Ernst, Thune Spearhead Effort to Protect Farmers and Ranchers, Block Radical Climate Overreach

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced an effort to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using any new funding from the Democrats’ latest reckless tax-and-spending spree to monitor the livestock emissions coming from small farms in Iowa, the Midwest, and the rest of the country.

“Democrats are seeking to weaponize the EPA against our farmers by spying on their operations. I’m not going to let that happen on my watch!” said Ernst. “With this effort, I’m fighting to protect Iowa’s livestock producers from the Left’s radical climate agenda and costly government overreach that will only fuel higher food costs and more reckless spending in Washington.”

“Farmers and ranchers – the people who work tirelessly to help feed America and the world – should not be subject to government surveillance as part of a broader effort to implement radical climate policies that would threaten their ability to operate,” said Thune. “This common-sense legislation would protect South Dakota livestock producers and their operations from government snooping.”

Last week, Ernst questioned a witness at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on the impacts proposed livestock emissions regulations would have on family farmers, and how burdensome regulations, like a “cow tax” – as she coined it – would increase costs on both livestock producers and consumers.

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