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Many people may not realize that what happened on April 17, 2013 in the town of West, Texas—a fertilizer plant with an unreported large stockpile of explosive ammonium nitrate blew up, killing 14 and rendering hundreds of others injured and homeless—could happen almost anywhere.
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After a long, dark winter, the bright sun and the warm winds of spring are, well, a breath of fresh air. The only downside? Termites and other pests in and around your home are ready for business as well.
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The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded grants to eight Virginia farms and agribusinesses. The grants help agricultural producers increase their income by expanding marketing opportunities, creating new products or developing new uses for existing products.
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Congressional efforts to uncover more details about the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012 continue. Last week, as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, I released a report as part of an ongoing review of the events that led to the death of four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
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U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today sent a letter to President Obama urging him to take action to reduce the current backlog of veterans’ disability claims. Currently, the average claim takes over 300 days to be resolved. In the letter, Sens. Warner and Kaine, who were joined by 65 other members of the Senate, cited long delays in cities across the country in making the case for swift action to reduce the backlog.
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The so-called Monsanto Protection Act is actually a provision (officially known as Section 735) within a recently passed Congressional spending bill, H.R. 933, which exempts biotech companies from litigation in regard to the making, selling and distribution of genetically engineered (GE) seeds and plants.
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It has a long way to go before becoming law, but the introduction of a bipartisan immigration reform bill is significant for U.S. agriculture. A group of senators has unveiled a comprehensive immigration reform bill that includes provisions for a new agricultural guestworker program. American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman said that’s extremely important for the future of agriculture.
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Before I criticize the lack of action on the part of the U.S. Senate on modest gun measures last week, I will freely admit that the Virginia General Assembly is clearly in the clutches of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
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Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) announced the introduction of the Government Customer Service Improvement Act of 2013. The bipartisan legislation works to improve customer service delivery across federal agencies, and a companion bill was introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
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U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) today was reappointed chairman of the bipartisan Government Performance Task Force by U.S. Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.). The Task Force, established in 2009 with Sen. Warner as its initial chairman, supports the Budget Committee by providing oversight and recommendations on ways to increase the performance and reduce the cost of federal agencies and programs.
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