MILWAUKEE, WI (06/20/2013)(readMedia)-- Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is pleased to announce Meghan Essary, from Davenport, has been awarded a Presidential Scholarship for four years of full tuition. She attended Davenport Central High School and plans to major in industrial engineering at MSOE.To qualify for MSOE's most prestigious scholarship, students needed a minimum 3.80 cumulative GPA and 28 or higher composite score on the ACT (1240 SAT) and be accepted for enrollment by February 1. In addition, the students attended and competed at a scholarship event.

MSOE is an independent, non-profit university with about 2,500 students celebrating its 110th anniversary. MSOE offers 20 bachelor's degrees and nine master's degrees in engineering, business, mathematics and nursing. The university has a national academic reputation; longstanding ties to business and industry; dedicated professors with real-world experience; a 94% placement rate; and the highest average starting and mid-career salaries of any Wisconsin university according to PayScale Inc. MSOE graduates are well-rounded, technologically experienced and highly productive professionals and leaders.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after the House voted down the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (HR 1947), the farm bill.

"The inability of the House to come together and move a farm bill forward is inexcusable. I have been calling for a farm bill for over a year now.  Failure to enact a farm bill means jobs in our rural communities are at risk and cuts to rural and farm initiatives critical to Iowa's economy are likely. I stood with the entire Iowa delegation to advance this critical legislation for farmers, Iowa's economy, and families.  The Senate was able to find commonsense compromise.  The House needs to do the same.

"I am deeply concerned with the extreme cuts to anti-hunger initiatives, known as SNAP, that were contained in the bill.  Our economy is still struggling to recover and many families rely on this program to put food on the table and ensure their children do not go to school hungry.  I was the only member from Iowa to cosponsor an amendment to restore these cuts and fought to have it included in the bill. Today's vote shows that restoration of SNAP funding is critical to a farm bill being enacted.

"I am also concerned that this bill would have gutted rural energy measures that are critical to Iowa jobs and energy independence.  There were over 1,600 rural energy projects initiated in Iowa between 2003 and 2012, many stemming from farm bill energy programs. These investments are vitally important to job creation and Iowa's economy.  I led the fight to ensure farmers and rural businesses have continued access to an important energy and economic development tool with my amendment that was added to the bill to strengthen the REAP program.

"I will continue to fight to get a farm bill signed into law that supports families, farmers and our rural economy."

2013 legislative bill action now complete

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today signed the following legislation into law:

House File 604: An Act relating to the funding of, the operation of, and appropriation of moneys to the college student aid commission, the department for the blind, the department of education, the economic development authority, the department of workforce development, and the state board of regents, and providing for related matters.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

House File 638: An Act relating to and making appropriations to state departments and agencies from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund and the technology reinvestment fund, providing for related matters, and including effective date provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

House File 648: An Act relating to state and local finances making transfers and appropriations and including effective date and applicability provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 396: An Act relating to government operations and efficiency and other related matters, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 406: An Act relating to involuntary commitments for persons with substance-related disorders, mental illness, and intellectual disabilities, and providing for the creation of an office of mental health advocate in the department of human rights and including effective date provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 430: An Act relating to appropriations to the department of cultural affairs, the economic development authority, the board of regents and certain board of regents institutions, the department of workforce developments, the Iowa finance authority, and the public employment relations board, providing for other properly related matters, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 446: An Act relating to appropriations for health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective, retroactive and applicability date provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 447: An Act relating to appropriations to the justice system and including effective dates.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Senate File 452: An Act relating to state and local finances by making appropriations, providing for fees, providing for legal responsibilities, providing for certain employee benefits, and providing for properly related matters, and including effective date and retroactive and other applicability provisions.

View transmittal letter explaining item vetoes.

Gov. Branstad has signed all transmittal letters linked above. This concludes legislative action by Gov. Branstad for the 2013 legislative session.

The disappointing news of the week is that the House failed to pass its version of the 2013 Farm Bill. If the bill had passed, cattlemen and women would have been one step closer to having a full five-year farm bill. NCBA President Scott George expresses his disappointment over the House's actions in this week's Beltway Beef.

The estate tax, commonly known as the death tax, continues to be an issue which deeply affects farmers and ranchers across the country. Just yesterday, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2013. NCBA Past President Steve Foglesong made remarks during the press conference about the importance of repealing this tax once and for all. Read more here.

Two new public policy interns have joined the NCBA D.C. office. They will be working alongside NCBA's lobbying team, regulatory experts, communications team and political action committee to ensure legislative and regulatory actions taken inside the nation's Beltway do not negatively affect cattle producers. Read more about these two new staffers in this week's issue of Beltway Beef.

Our columnist this week is Rep. Bob Goodlatte. It's simple; the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) needs to be taken off the menu. Goodlatte explains why in his Beltway Beef column, and talks about his legislation to repeal the RFS. Similar legislation was introduced today in the Senate by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.),  Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.). Read more about the RFS here.

Click here to read this edition of Beltway Beef. You can also scroll down to read the articles included in this week's newsletter. Be sure to read the Beltway Beef blog; follow Beltway Beef on Twitter; like us on Facebook; subscribe to us on YouTube; check out our photos on Flickr; and listen to our podcast.