Agriculture

Agribusiness is South Carolina's largest economic sector. THANK YOU to the farmers who make this possible- you are the backbone of SC and America. In South Carolina, agribusiness contributes $2 billion to the South Carolina economy and creates almost 200,000 jobs. The state of South Carolina has 5 million acres of farmland with nearly 25,000 farms.  Read more »

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-05) and Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15), introduced a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to oppose the Department of Labor’s H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rates rule that was finalized on February 28th. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) are… Read more »

Rule #1 with the federal government: If there’s any way to mess something up, there’s a government bureaucrat trying to make that happen. Sadly, our hard-working farmers are the most recent victims of these bureaucrats. Here’s what’s going on… In the agriculture industry, there’s a Department of Labor program known as H2-A. This program “allows agricultural employers who anticipate a… Read more »

One of the most obnoxious abuses of government power has been against farmers and other landowners with respect to water on their property (e.g. ponds, streams, etc.). To illustrate how out of control the federal government has become, several agencies have crafted a 141-page document to revise the legal definition of "Waters of the United States." You see, if any body of water meets… Read more »

It was an honor to join the Chester and Fairfield County Farm Bureau Chapters for their 2022 Legislative Banquet on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. We had small and large group discussions, which provided a great opportunity to talk about the issues important to our farmers and those in the agriculture industry. I owe a huge thanks to Congressman Rick Crawford from Arkansas, retired… Read more »

On Wednesday, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC-05) led 35 House members in a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack concerning a recent memorandum suggesting his agency might withhold the funding of free and low-cost meals for economically disadvantaged students if schools do not embrace the Administration’s policies concerning gender identity and sexual… Read more »

On Wednesday, Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-5) and Rep. Jim Costa (CA-16) led a bipartisan letter to the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Board Members of the Surface Transportation Board concerning deficient rail service, which has incumbered critical shipments of important agricultural inputs to our nation’s farms. BACKGROUND Many American farms rely… Read more »

“What’s your solution, Ralph?” I get that question all the time, especially when I talk about wasteful spending in Congress and our $30 trillion in federal debt. Friends, our nation is heading for financial ruin. I’m so tired of being asked to vote “yes” on new spending bills with no offsets. I’m tired of bloated, wasteful government. I’m tired of agency heads who claim they can't do… Read more »

Please make your calendar for Tuesday, April 5th at 6:00 PM ET for a special live telephone town hall.  Joining me will be two other congressman from South Carolina, Rep. Jeff Duncan and Rep. William Timmons! During this call, we'll be discussing the important domestic issues facing our country, including rising inflation, increases in violent crime, and alarming… Read more »

Did any of you watch the State of the Union earlier tonight? It was a spin job like no other. Not to beat a dead horse, but inflation is at a 40 year high under Biden's watch. His policies have enabled & encouraged more than 2 million people to illegally cross our border in the last year. Violent crime is rising. We're now $30 trillion in national debt, while he wants trillions more… Read more »