Does not matter: Firefighters, ag employees get a pay bump

Jan 24, 2022

Presented by Feeding America

With help from Helena Bottemiller Evich

Quick Fix

— Some Agriculture Department employees will see a pay bump at the end of the monthas part of President Joe Biden's move to increase the federal minimum wage.

— In a visit to California on Friday, Biden administration officials rolled out more funding for natural disaster restoration projects and wildfire mitigation.

— The largest farm lobby group came out in (partial) support of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[{"name":"data-person-id","value":"51187","_id":"0000017e-8ca1-d1ee-a9ff-cea3e5e40000","_type":"f601356c-0e4b-3847-a646-21bd958d59ca"}],"url":"https://cd.politicopro.com/member/51187","_id":"0000017e-8ca1-d1ee-a9ff-cea3e5e40001","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000017e-89b5-d101-abfe-fdfd9df20000","_type":"353fe80b-e1b5-3663-85ca-add066ecafc0"}"> Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) 's cattle market bill. But the group says some changes are needed before full approval.

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Driving the Week

WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS TO SEE PAY INCREASE: About 130 federal wildland firefighters and many more Agriculture Department employees will soon see a modest pay bump as a result of the Biden administration's mandate to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

The pay raise, announced by the administration on Friday, will impact nearly 70,000 federal employees across all agencies. The Office of Personnel Management directed agencies to make pay adjustments by Jan. 30.

Labor unions take a victory lap: "Since our first wildland firefighter bargaining unit was formed, this union has been advocating for federal wildland firefighters to be fairly compensated for the grueling and life-risking work they do to protect our country," said Randy Erwin, national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees-International Association of Machinists, in a statement. "Early in his presidency, President Biden promised to ensure no federal firefighter was paid less than $15 an hour. Today, the President fulfilled that promise. Not only for our wildland firefighters, but for all government workers."

Among the other beneficiaries are "plant protection technicians at the Agriculture Department," Government Executive's Erich Wagner reports . "If any agency fails to meet the Jan. 30 deadline, they will be required to make pay raises associated with establishing a $15 minimum wage retroactive to that date."

NATURAL DISASTER FUNDING INCOMING: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Vice President Kamala Harris announced $1.36 billion in disaster relief funds for the Forest Service to support post-disaster recovery and restoration — including nearly $600 million for recovery efforts in California following the devastating wildfires in 2020 and 2021.

Harris, in remarks alongside California lawmakers, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Vilsack, touted the administration's focus on preventing wildfires rather than fighting blazes.

"This is the best way to fight, we believe," she said. "Not just to focus on reaction, but on prevention. What can we do in terms of resiliency?"

How it works: The Forest Service will use the recovery funds, bolstered by the new bipartisan infrastructure law , for hazardous material cleanup, reforestation, watershed restoration and infrastructure repairs (such as trails, roads, bridges and facilities). The funding will also support Southeastern and other communities recovering from hurricanes.

More money: USDA also announced more than $48 million of investments through the Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership, a Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service collaboration with ag producers and forest owners.

FARM BUREAU MIXED ON CATTLE BILL: The American Farm Bureau Federation is officially backing the bipartisan Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Actspearheaded by Sens. Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) that aims to increase price transparency in regional cattle markets — with the exception of the bill's establishment of mandatory minimums for negotiated purchases.

"While Farm Bureau supports robust negotiated sales, delegates voted to oppose government mandates that force livestock processing facilities to purchase a set percentage of their live animal supply via cash bids," the organization said in a statement. The influential farm group debated the legislation at its annual convention earlier this month.

White House still weighing: Regular MA readers may recall that the White House is still reviewing the bill and has yet to give its own thumbs up or down, even though one official told MA that the administration supports "key parts" of the bill.

A message from Feeding America:

Struggling families can't weather hunger alone. The pandemic, supply chain issues, rising food costs, and the cold winter months all threaten to increase the number of hungry families. No one should have to choose between keeping the heat on and putting food on the table. Feeding America is asking Congress to invest an additional $900 million in TEFAP food purchases to help food banks meet the continued need that exists in our communities. Learn More.

DHS TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS THREATEN AG LABOR ACCESS: The Homeland Security Department this weekend began enforcing vaccine mandates on all travelers coming into the U.S. through land and seaports of entry. While the new regulations don't apply to American citizens, the Farm Bureau denounced the rule over potential labor concerns.

"We are extremely concerned that the [DHS] decision to require essential workers be vaccinated before entering the U.S. will limit agriculture's ability to grow safe and nutritious food," AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a statement.

Unlike similar restrictions in the past, the new move doesn't include an exception for essential travel. The new regulations began on Jan. 22 and are set to expire on April 21, unless amended or rescinded.

BIDEN ISSUES MORE DRILLING PERMITS: The Biden administration has approved nearly 900 more permits to drill for oil and gas on public land in his first year in office than did the Trump administration, reports Pro Energy's Ben Lefebvre.

By the numbers: Many of the 3,557 permits the Biden administration approved last year were in New Mexico, according to Interior Department data compiled by the Center for Biological Diversity. The Trump administration approved 2,658 permits, according to CBD's count.

The nonprofit group blasted the Biden administration, saying the increase in drilling approval rates ran counter to its promise to cut U.S. methane emissions and the need to cease oil and gas consumption to fend off the worst effects of climate change.

Agency response: The Interior Department was legally required to process drilling permits, a department spokesperson said Friday. The agency was in the process of strengthening environmental protection regulations in its leasing requirements and drilling permits, including factoring in the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions, the spokesperson added.

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Movers and Shakers

STABENOW CLIMATE AIDE HEADS TO INVARIANT: First in MA: Adam Tarr, a longtime ag staffer in D.C. who was most recently a top aide on climate policy for the Senate Agriculture Committee, is heading to the lobbying/comms shop Invariant to advise food, agriculture and environment clients.

As senior professional staff on the committee, Tarr was focused on climate and conservation issues and helped craft the climate-focused ag provisions in Democrats' Build Back Better package. Tarr also held various roles at USDA during the Obama administration, serving as a senior advisor to Vilsack (during his first stint as ag secretary) and as chief of staff for the Office of Food Safety.

Climate-focused farm bill on the horizon? "There are plenty of companies, NGOs, there are plenty of groups and a bunch of members, who say, 'We want to see climate play a bigger role in ag policy," Tarr told MA. "I think that's going to play out in the farm bill."

Row crops

— The latest wave of the coronavirus is adding additional stress on supply chains as workers call out sick, resulting once more in empty grocery store shelves in parts of the country. The Wall Street Journal has the story.

— Disruptions caused by the Omicron variant are also leaving food banks without enough volunteers in certain areas. The Associated Press has more.

— Soaring grocery store prices could lead to an increase in hunger rates, per CNN Business.

— Brazilian meat giant JBS plays a major role in deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Bloomberg has the story.

A message from Feeding America:

Hunger persists across America as families face a perfect storm of a pandemic, supply chain issues, rising food costs, and the cold winter months. The number of people in our country facing hunger could likely grow in the coming months if Congress does not do more. No one should have to choose between keeping the heat on and putting food on the table. Unfortunately, Feeding America is projecting an estimated decline of 1.9 billion meals from USDA foods. Feeding America is asking members of Congress to invest an additional $900 million in TEFAP food purchases to help our food bank network meet the continued need that exists in our communities. Learn more: Americans Can't Weather Hunger Alone - Feeding America Action

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