Chris Towner, representing the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), recently visited with Farm Director KC Sheperd to provide insights into the organization’s mission and the current state of federal fiscal policy. The CRFB, a nonpartisan, non-profit think tank based in Washington D.C., focuses on advocating for policies that place the national debt on a downward path relative to the economy.
CRFB’s Mission and Approach:
Towner emphasized the CRFB’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, stating, “We push for fiscal responsibility efforts. So that’s either making sure any tax cuts are paid for with requisite spending cuts, or making sure that any spending increases are paid for with requisite tax increases.”
Despite the challenging fiscal environment, Towner maintained a sense of purpose. “We like to say it could have been worse if we weren’t here trying to push them to do the fiscal responsible thing,” he said.
Impact of Federal Budget on Agriculture:
Towner highlighted the broad reach of the federal budget, particularly its impact on the agricultural sector. “The federal budget touches pretty much every policy sphere in the country and especially in, in agriculture,” he noted. He pointed to the farm bill, which includes “agriculture subsidies” and “food stamp benefits,” as a key example. “The reality is that we’re spending a lot more than we take in, in federal revenues on an annual basis. And thus, everything is put at risk when we’re starting to borrow a little bit too much.”
Government Funding and Budgetary Challenges:
Addressing the recent avoidance of a government shutdown, Towner expressed concern about the ongoing budgetary challenges. “We’re funded through the end of the fiscal year now, which is both good news, but also just kind of a testament to just how pathetic it is that Congress can’t really get its act together,” he said. He criticized the delayed budget process, stating, “Congress hasn’t really done the budget process, on time, in full, in almost 30 years now. So they’re really not doing great.”
Hurdles for the Agricultural Sector:
Towner identified the renewal of the farm bill as a significant hurdle for the agricultural sector. “I think the biggest hurdle is trying to get to a bipartisan agreement on the renewal of a farm bill right now,” he said. He also noted the potential impact of the upcoming tax bill on SNAP benefits, stating, “I do think part of though that tax bill will include some changes maybe not to agricultural subsidies, but certainly to snap benefits.”
CRFB’s Resources and Nonpartisan Approach:
Towner encouraged the public to access the CRFB’s resources, stating, “All of our materials are on our website, crfb.org.” He emphasized the organization’s nonpartisan approach, saying, “We are a really nonpartisan organization. We’re really mostly trusted for our numbers. We do objective analysis.” He concluded, “We’re the accountants in the room. We’re not really trying to push an agenda other than reducing the amount that we’re borrowing on an annual basis.”
