Please tell us briefly why you are seeking this position.
Abigail Spanberger*
abigailspanberger.com
I’m proud to represent Virginia’s 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives and to serve the people of our district on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee and as chair of the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee. I look forward to continuing this important work into the future, especially as we begin the important work of drafting the 2023 Farm Bill.
Yesli Vega
yeslivega.com
Our country is at a crossroads, and we’re in desperate need of new leadership. My parents immigrated to this country from war-torn El Salvador with the hope of a better future, which gave me the opportunity for the American dream. I’m running for Congress to ensure that everyone has that same opportunity. This is the greatest country in the history of the world, and we must fight for it.
What are your three main priorities as a candidate?
Abigail Spanberger*
My priorities include lowering costs for American families and businesses, including lowering the cost of prescription drugs and addressing the supply chain challenges that have been driving up costs for businesses; expanding high-speed broadband internet access; and restoring trust in government through good governance and ethics reforms, such as banning members of Congress and their spouses from trading individual stocks.
Yesli Vega
Economy: Our country is in a recession, and everyone is struggling, from the producer to the consumer, to make ends meet with soaring gas and food prices. My top priority will be working to relieve the burden of increasing costs on our nation’s citizens and reduce unnecessary taxes and regulations that are crushing our small businesses, especially our ag operations.
Public Safety: Competition in education is necessary and breeds excellence. As a law enforcement officer, I believe in the rule of law. Crime is spiraling out of control due to the defund the police movement and bad policy pushed by failed leadership. I will prioritize fully funding law enforcement, protecting communities, keeping law-abiding citizens safe and holding criminals accountable.
Education: I will be an advocate for parental rights, ensuring that our students receive the best education possible, whether it be private, public, charter or home school, and will work to make sure that schools focus on the fundamentals of math, reading and writing, as opposed to the divisive political rhetoric in many of our schools now. It is important to educate all Americans on the producer-to-consumer pipeline and how our rural ag communities provide high-quality food for large urban and suburban communities.
The world economy depends on properly functioning supply chains, including those from farm to fork. The agricultural economy and supply chain have experienced dramatic disruptions over the past two years, and the combined impact of supply chain disruptions and food inflation are increasing concerns about food availability and food insecurity. Resiliency, efficiency, and investment will be needed to fine-tune the supply chain and rebalance the economy in light of labor shortages and the general supply difficulties that are at the heart of supply chain issues. What regulatory reforms or ideas do you suggest to improve the agricultural supply chain and current labor shortage?
Abigail Spanberger*
I introduced the bipartisan American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act to establish “Supply Chain Regional Resource Centers” to offer locally tailored coordination, technical assistance and grants to small- and medium-sized producers and agribusinesses. I convened Undersecretary Jenny Moffit, farmers and other relevant stakeholders in Culpeper to discuss ways to alleviate supply chain challenges. I introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Supply Chains Through Truck Driver Incentives Act to create a tax credit for truck drivers and an enhanced tax credit for new truck drivers who drive over 1,900 hours in a year in order to incentivize people to join and stay in the trucking industry. I voted to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to improve the H-2A program and ensure farmers across all commodities, including dairy, can benefit from the program. I am pursuing legislation to improve workforce development programs in Virginia for livestock professions.
Yesli Vega
For too long, liberal members of Congress have tied Americans and more importantly, their employers, up in unnecessary regulatory burdens. These cumbersome regulations have been a major factor for our supply chain issues and labor shortages. For far too long, we have shipped manufacturing jobs overseas. We must undue cumbersome regulatory burdens that will allow businesses to flourish here in the United States to ensure that WE are in control of our supply chains, including attracting high-quality talent to address labor shortages. We must also respect the heritage and tradition that agriculture communities have created over the years, including employment opportunities for youth, as long as the work environment is safe and healthy.
If you were in office at the time, did you vote in favor of the 2018 Farm Bill? Why or why not? What were the most important aspects of the 2018 Farm Bill that you believe helped Virginia farmers? If you are a challenger or were not in office at the time, would you have voted for or against the Farm Bill, and what is your reasoning?
Abigail Spanberger*
I was not in office, but would have supported this critical legislation. The creation of the Dairy Margin Coverage Program has significantly benefited dairy producers across Virginia, creating stability and better risk management. I was pleased that steps were taken to strengthen commodity support programs and protect crop insurance from reforms that would gut the program. We must ensure farmers are able to manage risk in a manner that recognizes the unique challenges they face and reduce burdensome regulations. I am pleased that the bill made technical changes to existing USDA conservation programs to reduce red tape for farmers, improve the implementation of these programs and add greater flexibility for state offices and users.
Yesli Vega
Yes, I would have supported the 2018 Farm Bill. It is not a government handout as many have mischaracterized. This comprehensive agriculture bill provides for crop insurance, conservation incentives, rural development, trade and international food aid, forestry, support for veteran farmers and ranchers, and a safety net for struggling dairy farmers. It also provides crucial provisions for broadband services used to help connect rural communities to internet services, key to any communities’ growth. I believe that everyone should have the flexibility to choose the tools that help their businesses thrive and the farm bill does just that.
The EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have proposed a “step 1” WOTUS rulemaking that would repeal the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and replace it with an updated version of the murky pre-2015 regulations. The new rule greatly expands the federal government’s regulatory reach over private land use because it allows it to regulate ditches, ephemeral drainages and low spots on farmlands and pastures. This could impact everyday activities such as plowing, planting and fence-building in or near these areas. What is your position on the proposed WOTUS rule?
Abigail Spanberger*
I am deeply concerned by the piecemeal approach being taken by the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with respect to federal Clean Water Act regulations in the issuance of the “step 1” WOTUS rulemaking. The pre-2015 regulations do not do enough to provide clarity to farmers, producers, small businesses and all Americans regarding what water and activities are covered by federal regulations. Before any repeal of the current regulatory regime, I believe it is the responsibility of the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a clear framework—in consultation with the American ag industry—for how they will enforce the important environmental principles of the Clean Water Act in a manner consistent with the law that does not unnecessarily burden our farmers.
Yesli Vega
Confusion, regulatory uncertainty and litigation have surrounded our nation’s navigable waterways for decades. The current administration has proposed plans that would trample upon this process and further jeopardize rural Americans’ best interest when it comes to the water on their private lands. We must limit federal government overreach as much as possible and give stakeholders a voice in practical rule making. Rural communities across the country are dedicated to clean water and do not deserve to be punished by far-reaching, burdensome regulations that would create excessive federal government overreach on waters located on private land.
The U.S. is producing 80% more pork, 48% more milk, and 18% more beef than 30 years ago, and thanks to technology and innovation that have led to those increases in productivity, agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions per unit of food, fiber, or energy produced have declined by approximately 24% during that period. However, the environmental success story of agriculture is not well known, and we continue to see mandates and challenges. For example, the SEC is proposing amendments to its rules that would require registrants to provide certain climate related information in their registration statements and annual reports, including potentially invasive and burdensome information about farms. What is your viewpoint on the impact of climate change on the environment and the economy, and how does the agriculture industry fit into that equation? How do you view market-based incentives, such as pollutant credit trading, in balance with government mandates when addressing this issue?
Abigail Spanberger*
Climate change threatens our national security, economy and agricultural industry as extreme weather events, more frequent droughts, the intrusion of new pests and other changes to the natural world affect our infrastructure, communities, crops and wildlife habitats. It is critical we embrace solutions that will help us both reduce our emissions and adapt to these changes. These solutions must recognize that farmers are the original conservationists and are already playing an important role in solving this crisis. I support climate policies that recognize the unique role played by growers and producers in promoting conservation, and I’ve sought to amplify the work they are already doing through market-based mechanisms like private carbon markets, bolstering existing voluntary conservation programs at USDA and expanding best practices through additional conservation technical assistance. I introduced the bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act to empower USDA to help farmers navigate voluntary private carbon markets with confidence.
Yesli Vega
Any pollution credit or conservation credit should be on a voluntary basis, period. Our ag communities deserve to be free of unnecessary regulatory burdens. We can utilize voluntary collaborative opportunities that deliberately improve existing programs, systems and processes, by removing regulatory burdens that block responsible management. I also support an all-of-the above approach when it comes to harnessing American energy. Ensuring we have access to a mix of sources such as hydropower, wind, solar, natural gas, nuclear and coal/natural gas is imperative to driving down energy prices. I believe that the U.S. has the ability to incorporate all of these sources onto the grid, providing greater grid security for everyone.
The livestock industry has seen overwhelming consolidation of processing capacity in recent decades. This has led to fewer options for livestock marketing and created supply-chain risks, as seen during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you suggest improving access to livestock processing and expanding processing capacity in Virginia?
Abigail Spanberger*
I often hear from producers that the lack of competition in meat processing is driving their share of the retail value of beef down rapidly. I will advocate for solutions that will increase meat processing capacity and hold big processors accountable for any anti-competitive practices harming Virginia livestock producers. I led the Butcher Block Act with Rep. Dusty Johnson to build on USDA’s work to offer loans and grants to increase meat processing capacity. I introduced the bipartisan Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act with Sens. Tester, Grassley and Rounds, as well as Rep. Miller-Meeks, to create an office to focus on addressing anticompetitive practices among meatpackers and strengthen enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act. I led an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill to increase funding for investigatory staff in the Packers and Stockyards Division.
Yesli Vega
It’s vital that we take a serious look into the regulations that protect the health and well-being of consumers, while maintaining economic competitiveness for our agriculture industry. We can focus on the state and local level, including increasing the number of USDA-certified inspectors at state processing plants and incentivizing the construction of new processing plants. We also must continue the federal investigation into the “Big Four” meatpackers that are crushing our small operation farmers and ranchers. We must do everything we can to bring the focus back to those who raise the livestock, not the middlemen padding their pockets by price gouging our livestock producers.