Johnson expects productive finish to 2020

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HURON — After spending time with Vietnam veterans and recognizing a dozen veterans for their service during Vietnam, Rep Dusty Johnson (R-SD) spoke about the potential for a busy final two months in Washington.

“Neither the House nor the Senate will be voting on legislation before the election, unless it’s COVID relief legislation” Johnson remarked. “There is a history of Congress getting a lot done in a short time, even in ‘lame duck’ times after the general election.”

One piece of legislation that Johnson has been focused on is the PRICE Act, a bill addressing significant issues in the cattle market. Johnson calls the legislation “one of the most comprehensive approaches out there to try to tackle the soft cattle markets.”

Asked how the bill was progressing, Congressman Johnson was pleased.

“We are building momentum,” he stated. “We have bipartisan endorsement and the endorsement of multiple cattle organizations behind us.”

The bill will focus on transparency in the marketplace and more accessibility and opportunity for small processors and cooperatives within the beef market, something Johnson said should help South Dakota cattle producers.

Johnson was part of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the House that put together a $1.5 trillion COVID relief plan that was revealed in mid-September. He says the point of their negotiated plan wasn’t necessarily to put their plan to the floor.

“The goal was to get Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi to the table,” Rep. Johnson noted. “It worked, and she and (Secretary of Treasury Steven) Mnuchin have been speaking daily since that proposal.”

With his name on the November ballot, Johnson was asked if he was given two more years, what he saw as priorities for the work he would do.

“We have to beat back COVID-19 and ensure our economy recovers,” he quickly responded. “That’s job No. 1 and job No. 2.”

“We have weaknesses in the supply chain,” Johnson added. “It’s clear that China and Russia are not our friends. We need to ensure our adversaries do not have control over the supply chain for our goods, especially agricultural goods. My goal is to ensure that agriculture gets a seat at the table in those trade talks, which hasn’t happened.”