But with this freedom comes the challenge of declining fixed payments as government gets out of the business of farming. The federal government must provide farmers the relief they need from overburdensome and unnecessary regulatory requirements. The federal government must also have a commitment to the agricultural research that will allow Michigan and U.S. farmers to continue to be the most efficient planters in the world. Regarding federal regulations, the government is too involved in farmers' lives. Our precious natural resources should be protected and preserved.
Farmers are our best stewards of the land.
Congress should pass logical environmental protection laws that restore common sense to the federal regulatory process. I have voted to require all new environmental regulations undergo a risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis. The EPA should also certify that any benefits from a new regulation outweigh the cost. I have also been working to protect the private property rights of farmers. I have cosponsored, strongly supported and voted for legislation that would protect the private property rights of landowners with regard to federal regulations.