Today, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) delivered the following opening statement at a full committee hearing markup of H.R. 4550, the United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2025. Watch the full markup here.

[As prepared for delivery.]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I am pleased to be here to support the U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2025 and happy to be its lead Democratic cosponsor.

Every summer, grains planted by hardworking Minnesotans cover 40 percent of my district. Agriculture, by its very nature, is full of uncertainty. When farmers plant their crops, they don’t know if the weather will cooperate. Will their fields get too much rain, too little sun, a cold snap or an unexpected severe weather event? None of this is in the hands of the farmer planting a crop.

Lately, America’s farmers have experienced another kind of uncertainty: the president’s trade policies. How much will tariffs drive up input costs? Will tariffs ultimately shut U.S. farmers out of foreign markets? Will any trade deal the Administration makes be enough to offset the market share we lost in the first Trump trade war and are continuing to lose now?

U.S. grain standards are a key component of foreign trade and promoting American agricultural exports. The inspections and certifications done by the Federal Grain Inspection Service, states and private agencies provide foreign importers with certainty regarding the quality of the grain bought from U.S. farmers.

With parts of the existing U.S. Grain Standards Act set to expire on September 30, 2025, we should avoid adding additional uncertainty to farmers’ lives by reauthorizing and improving this law. 

The bill before us reauthorizes annual appropriations for standard development and maintenance, USDA’s authority to collect fees for supervision of inspections and weighing, an administrative/supervisory cost cap and the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee. All important components of the existing law.

However, the bill also makes some key improvements. The legislation steers USDA to prioritize the modernization of grain grading technologies. The U.S. grain inspection system is known around the world for quality and reliability.

Yet, as new technologies and new tests with improved speed, accuracy and consistency come into play, other countries may try to leap ahead of our high standards. We cannot rest on our laurels. By focusing USDA’s attention on modernization, we can continue to hold our place as the world’s gold standard in grain inspection.

We also heard testimony before the General Farm Commodities, Risk Management and Credit Subcommittee that the FGIS Grain Inspection Advisory Committee (GIAC) should be modified to enhance continuity. This need arises from USDA’s delays – occurring under both Republican and Democratic administrations – in naming replacement GIAC members when existing members leave.

Today, a member of the GIAC may serve two consecutive terms but then must leave the Committee when the second term expires. This can leave holes in GIAC membership, which can prevent the Committee from meeting.

By allowing GIAC members in their second term to remain on the Committee until replaced, this ensures the Committee can continue to function. However, this should not absolve the Department from doing a better job in vetting and naming GIAC members in a timely manner, and I trust, Mr. Chairman, that we will be keeping their feet to the fire on this. 

There are other improvements to the law that I won’t go into, but the bill’s entire intention is to help ensure grain can get from our farms and grain elevators onto ships bound for overseas markets. Our grain farmers need to know that they can rely on the USDA as a reliable partner, not a roadblock, to trade.

I am pleased we were able to work on this legislation in a bipartisan way, and I hope this trend will continue throughout this Congress. Bipartisan legislation is always preferable to partisan legislation. Bipartisan legislation is stronger. Bipartisan legislation is harder to undo when it has broad support.

Reauthorizing the U.S. Grand Standards Act is important for our farmers and their customers, and I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.