NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — North Dakota Senator John Hoeven is continuing to prepare for his term in the 119th Congress, outlining his priorities regarding agriculture at the North Dakota Farm Bureau annual meeting this weekend. At the event, Hoeven — a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee — discussed what he wants to accomplish in the remainder of this year and under the Trump administration. This includes the following: Passing a strong farm bill that invests in the farm safety net. Securing disaster assistance for producers impacted by wildfires Cutting red tape to reduce regulations on farmers and ranchers and protecting private property rights. Advancing tax policies that help farmers, ranchers, and agri-businesses recoup their costs and manage their operations, such as: A low, competitive tax rate. Section 199A for cooperatives and pass-through businesses. Maintaining stepped-up basis for farm and ranch assets. Eliminating the death tax. Bonus depreciation for qualified property like farm equipment. “As economic conditions in farm country continue to worsen, the need to invest in the tools our farmers and ranchers count on is more urgent than ever, and it’s essential that we provide stability and predictability to producers," Hoeven said. "That’s why I support passing a one-year extension of the current farm bill, as well as disaster assistance to help those producers impacted by wildfires and mitigate market losses resulting from the trifecta of low commodity prices, high input costs, and elevated interest rates. At the same time, we need to keep our foot on the gas to get a strong farm bill reauthorization done in the upcoming Congress. This is a tremendous opportunity to keep the farm in the farm bill, which means enhancing the affordability and coverage of crop insurance and improving the farm safety net, among other priorities.” Congresswoman-elect Julie Fedorchak announces hires Hoeven is also continuing to work towards securing an extension of the farm bill by the end of the year. He says this will give him more time to address issues facing producers, including: Enhancing crop insurance Improving the affordability of higher levels of coverage, consistent with Hoeven’s FARMER Act, will better enable producers to recover from natural disasters Improving the counter-cyclical safety net, including the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. Hoeven stated that reference prices need to reflect market realities and the cost of production that farmers are currently facing. Ensuring adequate access to credit by passing his legislation to modernize Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan limits as part of the Farm Bill. Strengthening livestock disaster programs, such as the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) and the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP). Hoeven is sponsoring legislation that he says will better align coverage between LFP and ELAP. Hoeven said he also wants to make programs voluntary for farmers, instead of one-size-fits-all. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW