2025 Federal Alert - March 7

Commissioner Harper Urges H-2A AEWR Relief - Requests Farmer Support

As farmers face record input costs, inflation, and the strain of low commodity prices, the federal government has piled on with yet another increase to the mandated Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), jumping 9% over last year. Since 2022, Georgia farmers have been hit with a 31% total increase as a result of this broken and ineffective regulatory framework--costing our farm families approximately $250 million in increased labor. To supplement his efforts working with our Georgia delegation and the new administration, Commissioner Harper has drafted a letter to soon-to-be U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer imploring an immediate freeze or repeal of the 2025 AEWR rule.

Georgia farmers have the opportunity to support this effort and ensure the future of agriculture is financially viable. If you would like to join the Commissioner on this letter and support our farm families, please click the button below to enter your information. To read his letter, please click

here. 

Sign On Here

USDA Workers Ordered Reinstated Amid Trump Cuts

On Wednesday, the chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Cathy Harris, ruled that over 5,600 fired United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, probationary employees must be reinstated for at least 45 days, citing potential violations of federal layoff procedures. This decision halts the Trump administration's effort to swiftly reduce the federal workforce, specifically targeting probationary workers with less than two years of service. The ruling, which requires the USDA to restore these employees to their prior roles, stems from a petition by Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, who questioned the validity of performance-based dismissal letters crafted by the Office of Personnel Management. 

While a temporary setback for the administration, the long-term fate of these terminations remains unclear, as options like administrative leave or formal layoffs could still be pursued. The stay applies only to the USDA but may set a precedent for thousands of other fired probationary workers across government agencies. Dellinger, who Trump separately targeted for removal, is fighting in court to keep his position, protected by federal law. Dellinger welcomed the ruling and encouraged agencies to voluntarily reverse similar firings, signaling potential broader reviews of these workforce cuts as the MSPB continues its assessment. 

Corporate Transparency Tug-O-War

A U.S. District Court ruling in Eastern Texas on February 20, 2025, reinstated the CTA filing deadline, requiring Georgia's 42,000 farms--mostly C-corporations, S-corporations, or LLCs with under 20 employees or $5 million in receipts--to submit Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) to FinCEN by March 21, 2025.

However, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced it will not penalize businesses for missing current Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) deadlines to file or update Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reports. Enforcement, including fines up to $10,000 and jail time, is paused until a new interim final rule takes effect, extending deadlines beyond March 21, 2025. This relief, praised by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, eases the regulatory load on small businesses, like many of Georgia's 42,000 farms, while prioritizing BOI from high-risk entities for national security and law enforcement. 

By March 21, 2025, FinCEN will issue this interim rule and seek public input on revising BOI requirements, aiming to reduce burdens while ensuring useful data. A later 2025 proposal will refine these rules further, potentially adjusting deadlines and adopting a risk-based enforcement approach. The Georgia Farm Bureau welcomes this respite, given farmers' struggles with billions of dollars in storm losses and threats of avian influenza. GFB anticipates reviewing the forthcoming rules, hoping for practical adjustments to support Georgia's $91 billion agricultural economy without stifling Main Street businesses. 

Budgetary Guidelines to Avoiding a Shutdown

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have released their fiscal year 2025 (FY25) budget proposals for the USDA and related agencies, facing a March 14, 2025, deadline to avoid a government shutdown. The House proposal reduces USDA discretionary spending by $216 million from FY24 levels, cutting rural development and FDA funding, while increasing farm programs by $171 million and food safety by $25 million. In contrast, the Senate proposal raises USDA spending by $518 million, allocating $183 million more to farm programs, $81 million to rural development, and $39 million to food safety. Both plans operate under the Fiscal Responsibility Act's spending caps, limiting flexibility, though the Senate offsets some constraints with additional funding. One of the most important areas of agreement between the two proposals is finding enough savings to make the Trump tax cuts of 2017 permanent.

Negotiations continue as Congress aims to finalize FY25 appropriations or pass a continuing resolution by the deadline. The House and Senate proposals diverge in their priorities, with the House favoring reductions and the Senate supporting increases, setting the stage for reconciliation. The budgets address farm programs, rural development, and food safety, with specific allocations yet to be finalized. Current talks involve a potential omnibus package or temporary extension to maintain operations past March 14, 2025. The two chambers must resolve differences between the two resolutions and pass an identical budget resolution to begin the reconciliation process. 

Thank you for taking an active role in staying up-to-date and informed on the developments in Washington D.C. If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to any of our Public Policy Department Staff and we will be happy to assist you. 

Alex Bradford, Director

Adam Belflower, State Affairs Manager

Raynor Churchwell, Agricultural Programs Manager

Renee Jones, Operations Coordinator

Amelia Junod,  Advocacy and Policy Development Specialist

Chase McClure, Governmental Affairs Specilaist

Ben Parker, National Affairs Coordinator

Jeremy Taylor, Agricultural Programs Specialist