The following is a news release issued by Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05).
SAGINAW (June 2, 2022)—Congressman Dan Kildee, Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, and U.S Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today toured Lake State Railway Company in Saginaw, Mich. to highlight the local impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“I am proud to welcome Secretary Buttigieg to mid-Michigan, where investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are creating good-paying jobs rebuilding roads, repairing bridges, replacing lead pipes and improving our railroads. These long-overdue investments are essential to solving supply chain issues and lowering costs for Michigan families. A stronger supply chain that moves Michigan-made goods more quickly will help local businesses succeed and ensure our state is competitive,” said Congressman Kildee. “I worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I will continue to work with Secretary Buttigieg to deliver federal resources to mid-Michigan.”
“I want to thank Congressman Kildee for his work. He has been a force in problem solving. I knew him by reputation when we were both in local government, so I am delighted to now be able to team up with him at the federal level to support American infrastructure. These investments will help us create thousands of good jobs, strengthen our national supply chains—fighting inflation and controlling costs for consumers and businesses—and give people better, faster, more affordable ways to get around,” said Secretary Buttigieg.
“Supply chain disruptions and worker shortages are taking a toll on Michigan agriculture, and we thank Congressman Kildee and Secretary Buttigieg for their attention to these challenges,” said Chuck Lippstreu, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association. “As a champion for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congressman Kildee helped deliver historic investment to train essential workers and repair Michigan’s crumbling infrastructure, key steps toward addressing agricultural supply chain delays. We look forward to working with leaders in Congress and the Administration to clear jammed supply chains and keep Michigan-grown products moving to customers across the globe.”
Railroads such as Lake State Railway Company (LSRC) are a critical link in the supply chains that transport products to store shelves in Michigan and Michigan-made products to market. Before the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, decades of disinvestment resulted in crumbling infrastructure that increased shipping costs for businesses and made Michigan less competitive.
Link to full release
LANSING, Mich. (April 21, 2022) – Michigan Agri-Business Association President Chuck Lippstreu today issued the following statement regarding a decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to indefinitely extend its vaccination requirement for essential workers crossing the U.S.-Canada border:
“This decision is bad news for Michigan farmers and rural businesses facing historic supply chain disruption as we enter the critical spring planting season. The failure by DHS to provide common-sense exemptions to this policy for agricultural truck drivers flies in the face of reality on the ground here in Michigan, where our agriculture sector continues facing supply disruptions, increases in cross-border trucking costs and an ongoing driver shortage. We urge the administration to reconsider this decision, and we continue to call on the Canadian government to offer a common-sense exemption to its border vaccination requirement for employees facilitating trade between the U.S. and Canada.”
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We look forward to welcoming the next class of our MABA Leadership Program! Now in its 15th year, this program is designed to help emerging leaders in Michigan’s agribusiness community learn more about policy, legislation and regulatory matters, and get hands-on experiences in these areas. The program is well-suited for anyone desiring to broaden their skills and expertise, and who is interested in helping MABA advance Michigan agriculture in the years ahead. The program is led by MABA President Chuck Lippstreu and Association staff, with the participation of a wide range of community and agriculture industry leaders.
Applications
The application is here in PDF format and here in Word format.
Applications are due to MABA staff no later than May 31, 2022. They will be reviewed and selections made by the Association. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance on or before June 15, 2022. The application is linked above. Applications may be submitted by mail at 2500 Kerry Street, Suite 102, Lansing, MI 48912, or by email to maba@miagbiz.org.
2022-23 Program Dates
Beginning with the most recent Leadership Program group, the Agri-Business Leadership Program is now a four-session activity. This includes three sessions in Michigan – each of which will be two days and one night – and a Sunday-Wednesday visit to Washington, DC. Here are the 2022-23 dates and locations:
Session 1: July 20-21, 2022, Detroit, MI* Session 2: November 8-9, 2022, Lansing, MISession 3: February 5-8, 2023, Washington, DCSession 4: July 25-26, 2023, Grand Rapids, MI**
*Joint session with 2021-22 Leadership Group
**Joint session with 2023-24 Leadership Group
Program Requirements
Participants selected for the program:
If you have questions, contact the MABA office at maba@miagbiz.org. We look forward to your participation!
Up to half of Michigan truck drivers remain barred from crossing into Canada
LANSING, Mich. (April 4, 2022) – Following today’s announcement from President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg aimed at alleviating America’s truck driver shortage, the Michigan Agri-Business Association (MABA) called on the Biden Administration to push for open access to the U.S.-Canada border for truck drivers not fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Industry estimates show vaccine requirements to enter the U.S. and Canada have taken 30-50% of Michigan truck drivers out of international service.
“The truck driver shortage in Michigan and across America has reached crisis levels, and while the administration is right to focus on solving this problem, let’s start by making sure truck drivers already employed can perform their essential work,” said Chuck Lippstreu, president of MABA. “Our agriculture industry relies on truck drivers who routinely cross the Ontario-Michigan border – often several times daily – facilitating exports to our number-one trading partner and bringing everything from fertilizer to feed ingredients into our state. Today, up to half of Michigan truck drivers are barred from international service due to vaccine requirements to enter both the U.S. and Canada, harming our state’s agriculture industry as we approach the heart of the spring planting season. We continue to call on the Biden Administration and the Canadian government to implement common-sense exemptions to these policies for truck drivers engaged in essential commerce.”
In a letter last month to the White House and Congressional leaders, MABA echoed a call from national agricultural organizations for the U.S. and Canada to exempt essential truck drivers from the requirements.
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