Minneapolis Review

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.

In her statement, Klobuchar welcomed Friant and his daughter Clara to the hearing. She addressed concerns about recent changes within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), saying: "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."

Klobuchar 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."

She noted that while Congress first enacted grain standards legislation in 1916, reforms made during the 1970s were prompted by scandals involving mis-grading and bribery within private inspection systems: "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."

Klobuchar explained that these events led Congress to establish a federal oversight system: "Following those events, Congress created the Federal Grain Inspection System to return integrity to the U.S. brand." She emphasized how official USDA certification supports fair pricing for farmers while assuring international buyers about product quality: "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."

According to Klobuchar’s remarks, ongoing updates have helped maintain trust among foreign buyers: "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 noting export markets’ positive impact on recent economic performance amid tariff uncertainties: "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."