To represent our state effectively, Ernst must do more than pose for a photo op.
My testimony at a U. S. Senate hearing last Thursday started with a big surprise.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Ia.) greeted me immediately before the hearing and asked if she could take a picture of us, but that’s not the surprise I’m referring to.
Following opening remarks by five senators on S. 2421, a bill exempting farms from reporting toxic air emissions, Subcommittee Chairman Mike Rounds, (R-S. D.) introduced the first witness at the hearing, cattle rancher Todd Mortenson from his home state.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) introduced the next witness, Bill Satterfield, the executive director of a poultry trade association from his home state.
I was next up, but instead of being introduced by Sen. Ernst, as was previously planned and is protocol when a witness from a senator’s home state testifies, Chairman Rounds said, “Our third witness is Mr. Mark Kuhn, a Floyd County Supervisor from Floyd County, Ia., and we welcome you as well to this prestigious committee.”
I was snubbed by Iowa’s junior senator. I am a third-generation family farmer and for 30 years we raised a cow/calf herd. I’ll be planting my 49th corn and soybean crop on the Kuhn family farm this spring, and I have 26 years of elective public service dealing specifically with the issue of the legislative hearing.
I was surprised, but determined not to show it. I thanked Chairman Rounds and Ranking Member Cory Booker (D-N. J.), for inviting me to testify and turned to Sen. Ernst and gave her greetings from the Hawkeye State.
Mortenson argued that the concentration of toxic air emissions is extremely low from the 1,295 cattle spread over the 19,000-acre Mortenson Ranch. However, because federal reporting requirements do not take concentration into account, it makes no difference if his cattle are spread over 10 or 10,000 acres. I understand that point and agree that toxic air emission requirements for pasture-fed cattle don’t make much sense.
My testimony cited a joint university study by Iowa State University and the University of Iowa that confirms there can be serious human health risks associated with toxic air emissions from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
Sen. Booker asked rancher Mortenson, “You can understand why someone living next to a CAFO would be appealing to the government to please do something about the health and safety risks that they experience as a result of these CAFOs. Is that correct?”
“Yes, I can understand that,” Mortenson replied. .
One of the lessons I learned was if a farmer and a rancher, representing different viewpoints at the start of the hearing, can find common ground, there is hope a compromise can be reached.
The other lesson is equally important. In today’s deeply divided political environment, our elected officials must start treating each other and their constituents with respect regardless of whether they agree or disagree.
