AED and Pioneer EDA Join Forces with Congressman Finstad to Advocate for Equipment Dealers and Agricultural Producers

Members of Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) and the Pioneer Equipment Dealers Association  (Pioneer EDA), and several producers recently met with MN Congressman Brad Finstad at C&B Operations in Luverne,  Minnesota. The meeting was part of a broader commitment by Pioneer EDA and AED to work collaboratively in an effort  to advance dealer interests at both the state and national level. Several topics were discussed including: 

• Permanently Reinstating and Extending TCJA – The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) helped unleash economic growth  and capital investment, however many of the law’s key provisions have expired, and are phasing-out or sunset at  the end of the year. Congress should immediately approve legislation to make key TCJA provisions a permanent  part of the tax code, including: 
  • The 199A deduction for S-Corps, pass-throughs, and other businesses not structured as corporations o 100 percent bonus depreciation (currently phasing out, 40 percent in 2025) 
  • Increased estate tax exemption levels, and
  • The business interest deduction capped at 30 percent of EBITDA (changed to 30 percent of EBIT in 2022) 

Additionally, lawmakers should refrain from raising the 21 percent corporate rate.  

• Tariffs are Creating Challenges within the Agriculture Sector – The United States operates in a global economy  and equipment supply chains are based all over the world. Tariffs, particularly on our key trading partners,  increase the cost of imports and invite retaliation, detrimentally impacting equipment dealers and  farmers. Congress should exert its oversight authority to advocate for trade policies that open new markets and  expand economic opportunities for U.S. agricultural producers. 
• Enact a Robust Farm Bill to Provide Certainty to Rural America – The current Farm Bill, which was extended  through Sept. 30, became law in 2018. Congress should enact a new Farm Bill as soon as possible to provide  certainty to American farmers and the agriculture sector and help alleviate the harm caused by a global trade  war. In a new farm bill, lawmakers should:
  • strengthen the safety net for farmers
  • continue voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs that allow for producer flexibility
  • expand the use of agriculture-based biofuels 
  • incentivize precision ag technologies, and
  • invest in promoting U.S. commodities around the world

  Address the Skilled Workforce Shortage – One of the greatest challenges facing equipment dealers is the lack of  skilled service technicians. Similarly, producers can’t find workers and are dealing with an overburdened and  antiquated immigration system. Congress should update laws to reflect current workforce needs, such as greater  flexibility for students to use Pell grants for short-term programs, increase funding for the Carl D. Perkins Act and  other programs that support providing skilled technical education opportunities, and reforming the legal  immigration system to include visa reform.