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President Trump Signs Executive Orders to Boost Rural America

President Trump Signs Executive Orders to Boost Rural America WASHINGTON (April 26, 2017) – President Trump is sending a clear signal this week that he is interested and engaged in helping boost rural America. With the executive order signed on Tuesday, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue will chair a newly established Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity, charged “to ensure the informed exercise of regulatory authority that impacts agriculture and rural communities.” Craig Uden, National Cattlemen's Beef Association president, said he is glad to see President Trump’s engagement this week. “We are appreciative for President Trump making agriculture a high priority right out of the gate,” said Uden. “With Secretary Perdue in office and the establishment of this task force, we are in a strong position moving forward to develop policy that will bolster our rural economy rather than the continuous over-regulation we have recently faced.” President Trump has specifically asked the task force to look at issues that have been high priority for NCBA – such as needed changes to the death tax and the protection of private property rights. “The rural farm economy has suffered with a drop in net farm income and increasing regulatory environment," said Uden. "This is a great step forward to putting rural America back into focus and addressing the issues that have negatively impacted our industry over the years.” In addition to the executive order establishing the task force, President Trump signed another executive order this week calling for the review of previous designations under the Antiquities Act. The Act, while intended to preserve Native American artifacts and areas of historical importance, instead has been used to place heavy restrictions on the land, bypassing Congress and local communities. “The end result is a crippling effect to local economies – ranchers forced off the land, conservation efforts halted, and jobs lost,” said Uden. “We are pleased to see that the Administration recognizes the hardships these designations have caused and is willing to re-evaluate previous action. Trump’s action this week is a positive sign for rural America.” Source: www.beefusa.org