Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator from Minnesota | Twitter
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, delivered opening remarks at a committee hearing focused on the reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act. The hearing included testimony from Nicholas Friant of Chanhassen, Minnesota, who serves as Chairman of the Grain Grades and Weights Committee at the National Grain and Feed Association.
Klobuchar began her statement by expressing appreciation for the focus on grain inspection systems and welcomed Friant and his daughter to the hearing. She addressed concerns about recent changes announced by the USDA, noting that these could have significant effects on American agriculture. Klobuchar said, “Before we begin, I’d like to underscore how damaging USDA's recently announced reorganization could be to American agriculture. I truly appreciate that Senator Boozman is having a hearing, and we’re going to hear from the Deputy Secretary tomorrow because we had little analysis and zero consultation with all of this.”
She highlighted the importance of federal grain inspection services in both domestic and international markets: “A hearing on Grain Standards may seem unusual. But this statute and the services provided by the Federal Grain Inspection Service serve a critical role in the U.S. and global marketplace for grains and oilseeds. And we’ve had bipartisan support for working on this issue in the past, and plan to have that keep happening in the future. Any lapse in this authority, which is set to expire at the end of September, will only create more uncertainty for farmers.”
Klobuchar referenced historical context regarding grain inspections: “Though the Grain Standards Act was first enacted in 1916, the current grain inspection system was born out of the 1970s when the credibility of U.S. agricultural exports was seriously called into question following a series of scandals in our private inspection system. While American farmers were producing high-quality grain, private individuals and companies tasked with inspection were shortchanging customers abroad through intentional mis-grading, inaccurately weighing grain, and even bribery, that led to several Federal indictments and convictions.”
She noted Congress’s response: “Following those events, Congress created the Federal Grain Inspection System to return integrity to the U.S. brand.”
The senator emphasized how official USDA certification supports both fair pricing for farmers and confidence among international buyers: “The official USDA certificate of inspection and weighing helps ensure American farmers are getting a fair price and guarantees international customers can trust the products they are buying – whether it’s from Minnesota with our soybeans or rice from Arkansas.”
Klobuchar pointed out that periodic updates have made these certificates highly trusted worldwide: “Since that time, with various periodic updates, the trust associated with this certificate has become the gold standard for international customers and has made American farmers the premier suppliers of high-quality grains and oilseeds.”
She concluded by stressing that export markets have benefited significantly from these standards despite trade uncertainties such as tariffs: “These export markets have been a bright spot in our economy in recent decades, and with all the uncertainty going on with tariffs, it is more important than ever that we maintain the integrity of our grain inspection system today. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Chairman Boozman, to do just that as we begin to work together in a bipartisan way to reauthorize this legislation.”
