Ag Policy Blog

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance has little history in agricultural policy, but always had a story to tell about rural America.

The country quickly weighed in Monday on social media, campaign calls and news releases about former President Donald Trump selecting Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate. All sides offered their praise and grievances over the choice.

Trump, for his part, stated on his social platform, "As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICAN GREAT AGAIN."

The Biden campaign said Vance "will do what Mike Pence wouldn't do on January 6 (2021)." The statement added Vance would cut taxes on "billionaires and corporations" at the expense of average Americans. "As Trump's running mate, Vance will make it his mission to enact Trump's Project 2025 agenda at the expense of American families."

Vance has little background in agriculture, but he definitely has a rural story. The Ohio senator also has a compelling campaign tale for Americans.

At 39 -- and turning 40 in early August -- Vance would be the youngest vice president since Richard Nixon if Trump wins in November.

As Vance's best-selling book, "Hillbilly Elegy" details, he grew up poor. The full name of the 2016 book is "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis." Vance wrote about growing up with his mother who struggled with prescription drugs and heroin. Vance spent a great deal of his childhood being raised by his grandparents.

The book highlights Vance's own determination for social mobility though he grew up poor. He saw the decline of the Rust Belt through the small town of Jackson, Kentucky, a town of 2,200 people in Appalachia where his family had roots, as well as Middletown, Ohio, where he spent most of his childhood.

Vance was 19 when he joined the Marine Corp. He served from 2003-07 and served in Iraq in public affairs. He went on to attend Ohio State University and Yale Law School. He also briefly worked for Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel before he wrote his book and began a non-profit in Ohio.

Vance has gone from being one of Trump's critics in 2015-16 to becoming one of the former vice president's most loyal supporters in Congress.

A first-term senator elected in 2022, Vance so far has not voted on a farm bill.

When he ran in 2022, Vance was endorsed as a "Friend of Farm Bureau" by the Ohio Farm Bureau's political action committee before he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

"Mr. Vance has quickly grasped the issues facing Ohio Farm Bureau members and rural Ohio and has made it clear, through his actions, that he cares," said Bill Patterson, president of Ohio Farm Bureau in a news release. "Vance's philosophical views align with that of our membership and when faced with an issue critical for agriculture, J.D. will ensure we have a seat at the table and deliver our message."

Vance said at the time he would be a fighter for Ohio farmers in Congress.

"After two years of radical Democrat control in Washington, D.C., Ohio agriculture is feeling the pain. Whether it's energy prices, input costs, government over-regulation, or supply chain issues, every Ohioan, especially farmers, knows it's time to change course. I'm very thankful for the Ohio Farm Bureau's endorsement of my campaign, and for the trust they've placed in me to represent Ohio in the Senate."

As early as mid-March, Vance suggested in a comment to Brownfield that the farm bill might need to be extended another year to 2025. Brownfield spoke to Vance during a fly-in event in Washington with the Ohio Farm Bureau.

"I think there's a small chance, yeah, that we would extend it into 2025, do another year-long extension and then try to sort of get the five-year extension done in '25," Vance told Brownfield.

With the lack of action in the House and Senate right now, the chances of another farm-bill extension are growing.

The senator has largely focused on issues other than agriculture since he took office. Vance aligns with Trump in supporting more tariffs on products from China and other countries.

Vance has been aggressive in his support for legislation and proposals to further build a wall on the southern border and other legislation to reduce illegal immigration. Vance also opposes legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to become legalized workers.

This is an area where agriculture may conflict with the Trump agenda because agriculture is one of the industries that relies on immigrant labor.

In agriculture, Vance is a co-sponsor for the "Protect Farmers from the SEC Act," which is led by Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. The bill would prohibit the SEC from requiring disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions related to agricultural products.

Other ag-related bills Vance has co-sponsored:

-- AFIDA Improvements Act: Led by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Indiana, the bill would tighten reporting disclosures for foreign investors in U.S. agriculture.

-- Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act: Sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, Vance is one of 16 co-sponsors for a bill that would require schools to offer whole milk.

-- Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act: A bipartisan bill led by Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., the bill focuses on finding ways to get rid of the pest.

-- Beagle Brigade Act: Another bipartisan bill led by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., it would boost support for dogs used by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to identify foreign pests and diseases at ports of entry.

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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