In a recent interview, Farm Director KC Sheperd sat down with Senator James Lankford to discuss the pressing legislative and economic challenges currently facing Oklahoma producers. From disaster relief delays to the shifting timeline of the federal farm bill, Lankford provided an inside look at the hurdles in Washington and the ongoing efforts to support the agricultural community. The conversation highlighted how critical federal programs are moving forward amid gridlock.
Streamlining FEMA Disaster Relief
The discussion opened with a look at recent natural disasters in Oklahoma and the subsequent release of $28 million in FEMA assistance. Lankford noted that while a specific timeline for fund distribution is difficult to pin down, the approval process has improved significantly.
“The key thing is once they actually finish the approval process and say it’s a go, it’s usually within weeks, not years,” Lankford said. “That’s been our frustration for a while here… FEMA, if you go back a couple of years ago, was literally taking years.”
Lankford credited structural changes within the Department of Homeland Security, specifically mentioning standardizations championed by Representative Markwayne Mullin, for accelerating the bureaucratic process. “He has changed the way the approval process works to be able to get it out the door faster,” Lankford added.
Managing the Screwworm Threat
The conversation shifted to agricultural biosecurity, specifically the rising concern over the screwworm. Lankford urged producers to stay vigilant but avoid unnecessary alarm, emphasizing that federal agencies have been proactively preparing for this threat for more than a year.
“We’ve seen it coming now for well over a year, and they’ve been aggressively planning and preparing on this,” Lankford explained. “They’ve now spent right at a billion dollars—billion with a ‘B’—in preparation to be able to take this on.”
The senator highlighted that the USDA’s battle plan was initially announced directly in Oklahoma alongside Ag Secretary Rollins. Current mitigation efforts include:
- Setting up facilities for sterile fly releases.
- Working aggressively in cooperation with Mexico.
- Implementing strict isolation protocols for Mexican cattle imports.
Lankford reassured the public that the issue does not pose a threat to human health or the general food supply, though it remains a critical priority for livestock protection.
Farm Bill Stalled Over SNAP and Ethanol Debates
When asked about the progress of the highly anticipated federal farm bill, Lankford admitted that progress has slowed down significantly due to deep divisions in both chambers of Congress.
“Welcome to Congress. This is where we are right now,” Lankford remarked. “It’s been very frustrating.”
According to the senator, two primary issues are stalling the legislation:
1. Nutritional Assistance Qualifications (SNAP)
Lankford noted that changes made to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) last summer continue to fuel fierce partisan debate. The updates focused on ensuring that recipients meet legal presence and qualification requirements, resulting in approximately 4 million individuals being removed from the program.
“Our Democratic colleagues are absolutely furious about that,” Lankford said. “We’ve just said, if you want to change the qualification for who receives SNAP, let’s have that debate. But if you just want to give SNAP to folks that don’t qualify, we’re not in on that.”
2. Ethanol Blending Mandates
The second major roadblock involves the domestic ethanol mandate. Corn and soybean producers are pushing to raise the required blending standard to 15%, a move that has met resistance from lawmakers wary of nationwide mandates.
“A lot of our corn and soybean folks want to push it up to 15% and want to dramatically raise the amount that’s required to be used in the country of ethanol,” Lankford stated. “Other folks are saying… it’s a great product, but don’t mandate these large amounts all across the country.”
Looking Ahead: USMCA and Producer Input
Despite the gridlock on the domestic front, Lankford expressed moderate optimism about international trade framework reviews, noting that updates to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are still on track for a July target. He acknowledged that the final weeks of trade negotiations are inherently noisy but expressed confidence that the final details would be resolved.
Closing the interview, Lankford encouraged Oklahoma farmers and ranchers to keep communicating directly with his office regarding their operational needs, from interest rates and input costs to specific agricultural policies.
“There’s just so much going on in so many different topics,” Lankford concluded. “I want to make sure we don’t omit your issue… make sure that folks are reaching out to our office to keep us informed of things that we need to be able to work on specifically.”
