Thune-Ernst Bill Would Prohibit Government Monitoring of Livestock Emissions, Block Radical Climate Policies

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today reintroduced a bill that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from monitoring methane emissions from livestock. Specifically, the bill would prohibit the EPA from using any of the new methane monitoring funding provided in the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” to surveil farmers’ and ranchers’ livestock methane emissions in South Dakota, Iowa, or anywhere else in the country.

“Farmers and ranchers work tirelessly to help feed and fuel the world,” said Thune. “The last thing they need are more government regulations from out-of-touch bureaucrats in Washington, many of whom have clearly never stepped foot on a farm or ranch in America. South Dakota producers should not be subject to government surveillance as part of the Biden administration’s attempt to force its far-left climate policies on family farm and ranch operations, which would ultimately threaten their ability to operate. I’m proud to introduce this common-sense bill that would protect South Dakota livestock producers from government snooping.”

“It’s no surprise that Biden’s radical EPA wants to regulate every aspect of our agriculture industry, from the waters on our farmlands to the emissions of our cows,” said Ernst. “Americans can’t afford burdensome and baseless regulations that drive up costs for livestock producers and consumers. I’ll keep pushing back against the Biden administration’s hot air.”

“As farm efficiency goes up, emissions are going down in the livestock sector,” said Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation. “Livestock emissions make up a small fragment of overall U.S. emissions, and those numbers continue to decline thanks to improvements in feed and production practices. Farm Bureau appreciates Senators Thune and Ernst’s legislation to make sure livestock producers are not subject to methane emissions monitoring, which could lead to onerous emissions regulations, higher food costs for consumers, and less innovation in agriculture.”