Congress is failing to come together on an economic-aid package because both parties remain locked in a standoff over funding.
At this point, the two sides appear so locked in their positions that $10 billion to $12 billion in potential economic aid could be scrapped as a result. The impasse prompted Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, to call for farm-state lawmakers to oppose the year-end supplemental legislation if economic aid is not included.
Republican leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture committees early Saturday released a joint statement blaming Democratic leaders in Congress for rejecting a $12 billion package for farmers. Their complaints come after Republican leaders rejected a $10.7 billion plan proposed by Democrats that also would have beefed up the farm bill by adding roughly $14 billion in funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) just days earlier.
Here’s the statement released Saturday morning from the GOP Ag Leaders:
In response to ongoing negotiations on the farm bill extension and economic aid to our producers, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) issued the following statement:
”America’s farmers have lost over $30 billion this year. And for the last few months we have led many of our colleagues in raising the concerns of the farm community in meetings, in hearings, on the House and Senate floors, and in private conversations with other Republicans and Democrats. We are deeply disappointed to learn that congressional leadership is failing to provide our farmers with the economic assistance they need to weather the crisis they are currently facing. Last night Republican leaders offered Leader Schumer and Leader Jefferies a $12 billion economic aid package for our nation’s farmers, which they rejected. It appears that congressional Democrats have not learned the lessons of the most recent election and continue to neglect the needs of rural America.
“The failure to include economic assistance will have devastating and lasting consequences on our farm families, the rural communities in which they live and American agriculture. For that reason, we intend to oppose any supplemental spending package that does not provide meaningful assistance to our farmers. Our farmers work too hard and risk it all each year so we can have the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world. They deserve our help now.”
The nation’s largest general farm is calling for a national response from farmers and ranchers.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall today expressed disappointment that Congress appears to turn a blind eye to the agricultural recession in its year-end supplemental legislation. Duvall calls on farm state members to oppose the bill if economic aid for farmers is missing.
“At a time when farm income is in a downward spiral and costs are rising, it’s unacceptable for Congress to turn its back on farmers. Farmers don’t get to set the prices for their goods and right now those prices don’t even come close to covering their costs. We lost 141,000 farms in five years and if Congress fails to include economic aid for farmers, the sad reality is that we’ll lose more.
“Our whole country will suffer the consequences if Congress takes farmers and our food supply for granted. For this reason, I call on members of Congress who represent agriculture to stand with farmers by insisting the supplemental spending bill include economic aid for farmers and voting it down if it doesn’t. In truth, every elected leader who enjoys our affordable and abundant food supply represents agriculture, so I urge them to band together and ensure farmers are supported.
“Nearly 80% of Americans believe lawmakers should prioritize legislation that supports farmers and ranchers so it’s just plain unacceptable that our elected leaders are considering putting politics first. I hope reasonable members of Congress take a stand for the good folks who stock their pantries.”
AFBF is using their Advocacy group that they have built to demand that Congress rethink these decisions. They are asking farmers and ranchers to send a message to Congress that they are “deeply disappointed that Congress has excluded economic assistance for farmers and ranchers from the year end supplemental spending bill. Without immediate action, many farms and ranches- some of which have been in families for generations- are at risk of closure.”
Other groups are calling on Congress as well- we will be posting those statements as they come into the Oklahoma Farm Report.
