Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 27, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON –  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to submit a status report every 60 days “on its progress in complying with the court’s remand” stemming from the July 2017 ruling in … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 27, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – To ease mounting financial pressures, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will temporarily suspend past-due debt collections and foreclosures for farmers borrowing under the Farm Storage Facility Loan and the Direct Farm Loan programs while also offering flexibilities under … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – To address a dramatic rise in hunger, President Joe Biden today signed an executive order that would increase food assistance for families missing meals due to school closures as well as boost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for the lowest-income households. Throughout the … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – An alliance of farm, biofuels, and environmental organizations last night filed an amicus brief in objection to the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficiency Vehicle (SAFE) Rule on the grounds that it both fails to account for toxic pollution from aromatic-laden fuel as well as … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 20, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In his first hours as president, Joe Biden issued a flurry of executive orders and policy proposals covering a wide range of issues. Of particular interest to National Farmers Union (NFU) is President Biden’s decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. The organization, … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 20, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Following a swearing-in ceremony held at the U.S. Capitol, Joseph R. Biden and Kamala Harris today officially began their four-year terms as president and vice president of the United States. In a statement, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew extended his congratulations … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 19, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In its final hours under President Donald Trump’s jurisdiction, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today issued three waivers retroactively exempting oil refineries from their 2018 and 2019 obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The decision comes on the heels of the … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 19, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden yesterday nominated Dr. Jewel Bronaugh to serve as his Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. If confirmed, she would be the first Black woman to hold the second-in-command position at the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dr. Bronaugh, who has been … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 13, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – America’s top biofuel and farm advocates called on President Trump to reject last-minute attacks on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and American farmers throughout the country, a plan reported to be under consideration by Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court has announced it will review the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit’s decision in RFA et al. v. EPA,  which overturned three inappropriately granted small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The following is a statement … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Today, a coalition of the nation’s largest biofuels and agricultural trade groups filed its reply in support of its motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia. The motion, originally filed on November 23, 2020, asks the court to … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 6, 2021 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As Congress prepared to verify the results of the 2020 presidential election today, a group of far-right insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol building, vandalizing and stealing federal property, assaulting Capitol police officers, and threatening lawmakers with violence. The event, which occurred mere blocks … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 21, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – After months of negotiations, Congress today passed a $900 billion pandemic relief bill. As the pandemic has worn on over the last several months, National Farmers Union (NFU) has repeatedly urged legislators to provide American families and businesses with the help they need … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – To strengthen its ongoing efforts to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis, National Farmers Union (NFU) today announced its new Climate Change Policy Advisory Panel (CCPAP). The panel’s 16 family farmer and rancher members will inform the organization’s climate-related legislative work, educational programming, outreach, and communications. … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON –  In a filing submitted yesterday, the Department of Justice recommended against Supreme Court review of the Tenth Circuit Court’s ruling earlier this year that invalidated several small refinery exemptions issued by EPA under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The DOJ filing is in … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 8, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Several media outlets today reported that President-elect Joe Biden intends to nominate Tom Vilsack to return to his previous post of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, which he held for eight years under President Barack Obama. National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew released … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 8, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, National Biodiesel Board, American Coalition for Ethanol, and National Farmers Union today filed a brief challenging EPA’s August 2019 decision to exempt 31 small refineries from their obligations to comply with the Renewable … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Georgia Representative David Scott was selected today by his fellow House Democrats to lead the House Agriculture Committee as its next chairman. Scott, the first Black legislator to hold the position, will be joined by Pennsylvania Representative Glenn Thompson, who was elected to … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 1, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Though there is a long, rich history of Black farmers in the United States, systemic racism has undermined their success and wrested the majority of their land away. In order to correct racial inequities in agricultural policies and institutions, Senators Cory Booker, Elizabeth … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – With just hours until the statutory deadline, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has still not issued its 2021 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), raising concerns that the RVOs will not be updated until the next administration takes … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 23, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Today, a coalition of the nation’s largest biofuels and agricultural trade groups filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia asking the court to enforce its 2017 decision requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address its improper … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 18, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – For every dollar Americans spend on their Thanksgiving dinner this year, farmers and ranchers will earn approximately 11.9 cents, according to National Farmers Union (NFU). This marks a slight decline from 2019, when farmers claimed 12.15 cents of the Thanksgiving food dollar. Though … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 17, 2020 WASHINGTON – An alliance of groups representing farmers, forest owners, the food sector, state governments and environmental advocates today unveiled an unprecedented set of recommendations to guide the development of federal climate policy.  The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) was formed in February 2020 by four groups that … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 7, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 303-819-8737 [email protected] WASHINGTON – After several days of ballot counting and much anticipation, the Associated Press announced that former Vice President Joe Biden had won the 2020 U.S. presidential election. National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew issued the following statement in response to the news: “The … Read More