Agriculture

Blaine's Bulletin: Slowing, Stopping, & Reversing China's Creeping Threat

| Posted in Columns

Nothing the Chinese Communist Party does is a coincidence or an accident. It has carried out strategic moves to bolster its competitive advantages, build an elite military, and increase its influence around the world. As the preeminent leader on the global stage, the United States represents both China’s greatest obstacle and, unfortunately, its greatest resource.   As my…

House Financial Services Committee Passes Luetkemeyer Bill Targeting Chinese Spying Efforts

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) released the following statement regarding the House Financial Services Committee’s passage of H.R. 5409, the Safeguarding American Farms from Foreign Influence Act. “Chinese nationals have breached U.S. military bases at least 100 times in recent years, secretly reporting back to the Chinese government. This issue hits close to home in Missouri, where…

Rep. Luetkemeyer introduces ‘Safeguarding American Farms from Foreign Influence Act’

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), introduced the Safeguarding American Farms from Foreign Influence Act. The legislation would empower the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist in preventing potentially hostile foreign actors from purchasing agricultural land within the United States. “Chinese nationals have breached U.S. military bases as many…

Blaine's Bulletin: Attacking Record-High Gas Prices

| Posted in Columns

Just about everything costs more nowadays. Each dollar in your pocket gets you less than last year, and gas prices in particular seem to rise with every trip to the pump. This week, AAA released data signaling the average cost for a gallon of gasoline in the United States has reached the highest summertime levels in over a decade. Still, the price to fill up your vehicle varies from…

Blaine’s Bulletin: Missouri Agriculture

| Posted in Columns

As one of the leading agricultural states in the nation, Missouri’s ag industry plays a huge role in supporting our state’s economy and is a major part of our way of life. Our state’s agricultural operations are not only feeding, clothing, and fueling Missouri and our country but the world. With a $94 billion dollar agriculture industry and the second most farms of any state in America…

Blaine’s Bulletin: This Week in Washington

| Posted in Columns

It was a busy but productive week on Capitol Hill! I started off the week attending the Health Plan Hero Awards on Capitol Hill and meeting with the Cosmos Corporation. The Cosmos Corporation is a family-owned and operated business out of St. Peters that started out manufacturing beauty supplies in the 1980s and has grown into an international supplier of personal care, pet health and…

Blaine’s Bulletin: National Ag Week 2023

| Posted in Columns

Missouri is a national leader in agriculture and has a rich history of farming and ranching. Our state is home to the second most farms in the country with 95,000 of them that support 460,000 jobs, second only to Texas. And 97% of our farms are family-owned, which means the next generation of Missourians is grabbing the baton to keep their family livelihoods running for years to…

Blaine’s Bulletin: August District Work Period

| Posted in Columns

The August district work period is in full swing, and over the last couple of weeks I’ve had a lot of productive visits around the Third District. This is important time I get to spend meeting with constituents and businesses to check in and hear how things are going. Here are just a few highlights. Due to our abundance of farms and ranches and with one of our top commodities being…

Blaine’s Bulletin: Ensuring Ag Producers Have the Tools They Need

| Posted in Columns

Farming is one of the most rewarding (and the most essential) industries there is. If all goes right, the hard work you put into your land in the middle of America becomes food for the world. In Missouri 27.8 million acres – 2/3 of our state – is farmland, much of which are family farms that sometimes go back several generations. Our $93.7 billion ag industry employs almost 460,000…

Blaine’s Bulletin: National Ag Week

| Posted in Columns

Farming and ranching are just about as Missouri as it gets. Our state’s fertile land has been farmed for hundreds of years and we are one of the nation’s top ag states, ranking second in the nation for number of farms. From soybeans, to corn, to hay, rice, cotton, cattle, hogs, and turkeys – Missouri farmers and ranchers are producing a variety of commodities the world needs. And they’re…