Vilsack, farm groups comment on farm bill proposals
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| Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement late Wednesday that the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act proposal put forward by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., “is a comprehensive and thoughtful proposal that advances food and nutrition security, promotes sustainable agriculture production and conservation practice, expands opportunities for new and beginning farmers while shoring the key safety net production agriculture relies on, and invests in the bioeconomy with the promise of more good paying jobs in rural America.” “The ‘Act’ avoids harmful reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and maintains the historic commitment to conservation contained in the Inflation Reduction Act,” Vilsack said. “Given the challenges that may arise in agriculture on any given day, the proposal wisely avoids unnecessary restrictions on the use of Commodity Credit Corporation funds. The outline provided today by Sen. Stabenow advances both Democratic and Republican priorities, reflecting her understanding that any farm bill in the end must be a bipartisan bill.” Vilsack did not comment on the proposal, also released Wednesday, by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa. |
| National Farmers Union President Rob Larew said that he appreciates “the work that the House and Senate Ag Committees have put into the current proposals.” “There’s more work to be done to find common ground and consensus. Building a stronger farm bill coalition will provide the support necessary to pass this legislation,” Larew said. “Considering the volatility in the food system since the 2018 farm bill was signed into law, family farmers need a farm bill that establishes a stronger farm safety net, builds fairer and more competitive markets and creates better opportunities for the next generation of farmers.” |
| Mike Lavender, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said the group is “extremely encouraged to see a pragmatic Senate farm bill proposal that includes numerous bipartisan policies.” “The proposal takes meaningful steps to build a fair and accessible farm safety net for farmers and ranchers, protect conservation and climate spending, and invest in local and regional food systems,” Lavender said. NSAC added that Thompson’s “brief five-page summary raises significant concerns and represents a marked difference from the Senate’s proposal.” “Neither of the documents released today offer full legislative text, and NSAC will reserve final assessments of the farm bill and its impacts — from advancing racial equity to investing in healthy communities, leveling the playing field for small and mid-sized farmers, and building toward a climate-resilient future — until full bill text becomes available.” |
| The National Young Farmers Coalition said the Stabenow bill “is thoughtfully crafted to center the needs of farmers and ranchers across the country” and that it is looking forward to reviewing “a more detailed draft” of Thompson’s bill when it is released. “We are heartened to see the Senate farm bill priorities include steps toward more equitable land access and transition, support for the conservation practices young farmers are already leading on their farms, expanded investment in farmer mental health and well being, and more,” said Michelle Hughes, co-executive director of the coalition. National Association of Wheat Growers President Keeff Felty said the group is “glad to see legislative summaries being put forward” and that it will review the proposals. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 1.2 million workers in grocery, meatpacking, food processing, retail, and other industries across North America, said the Stabenow proposal “puts the 2024 farm bill back on track to being signed into law by the end of the year.” |
| Abby Youngblood, executive director at the National Organic Coalition, said the group “is thrilled with the strong commitment to growing organic signaled by the farm bill framework presented today by Sen. Stabenow.” “It provides a strong foundation to grow the organic sector to address climate mitigation, human health, and ecological challenges and provides organic producers with increased support to create thriving businesses to grow food for local communities,” Youngblood said. |
| UFCW International President Marc Perrone said the Stabenow bill “finally meets the essential needs of the hard-working people that keep this country fed, including our own members.” “This version of the farm bill increases vital economic aid, allotting millions of dollars to America’s essential food and farmworkers, and creates badly needed labor standards for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program delivery drivers, all while ensuring that federal money goes towards good jobs,” Perrone said. “This is the right framework for an effective farm bill, and the UFCW urges the Senate to pass it as soon as possible so it can move forward in the House.” |
| Kelly Horton, interim president of the Food Research & Action Center, said the group is pleased that Stabenow’s proposal “aligns with many of our SNAP priorities for the farm bill,” and commended her “for recognizing the importance of safeguarding the much-needed Thrifty Food Plan future benefit adjustment.” Of Thompson’s inclusion of a provision “that proposes eliminating future Thrifty Food Plan benefit adjustments,” FRAC said, “Congress should not go back on the commitment made in the 2018 farm bill by now proposing tens of billions of dollars’ worth of cuts while families struggle to provide a nutritionally adequate diet, juxtaposed with stagnant wages and increased rent.” |
| Abby Leibman, president and CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger said, “MAZON applauds the visionary and powerful proposals made by Chairwoman Stabenow for our nation’s nutrition safety net in her proposed farm bill reauthorization.” Stabenow’s “proposals are comprehensive — recognizing the complexity of hunger and the lives of those who are food insecure, offering powerful support to the nation’s nutrition safety net, and addressing the unique needs of diverse populations who struggle in America,” Leibman said. “Chairwoman Stabenow’s vision stands in sharp contrast to the proposals made by Chairman Thompson, which amplify the harmful rhetoric of blaming and shaming America’s hungry.” Leibman called on the House and Senate to “immediately advance” the Stabenow proposal. |
| Jason Gromley, senior director for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign, said, “While full details of their proposals are not yet available, it is encouraging to see apparent agreement from both Chairwoman Stabenow and Chairman Thompson on the importance of making further investments in SNAP that would allow more eligible families to participate, support education and nutrition incentive programs and protect participants from benefit theft and fraud.” “However, we’re disappointed with the House Republicans’ proposal to limit future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan — which helps SNAP benefit levels keep pace with the cost of food and how families live and eat,” Gromley said. “USDA’s 2021 updates to the Thrifty Food Plan were based on data-driven criteria using current food prices and modern dietary guidelines. Those changes better reflect the way families live today while increasing SNAP benefits by $1.40 per-person, per-day to just over $6 a day for the average SNAP recipient. While modest, these updates have raised 1 million kids out of poverty.” |
| National Grocers Association Vice President of Government Relations Stephanie Johnson said, “NGA is pleased to see movement on a farm bill from both sides of the Capitol.” “We are thankful the Senate proposal protects retailers from burdensome fees on EBT transactions and an increase in funding and flexibility in GusNIP. We look forward to seeing more details on the House proposal.” |
| National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Collin O’Mara said, “The Senate and House farm bill frameworks underscore that lawmakers understand the vital role these USDA conservation programs play in helping farmers, ranchers, and foresters adopt better conservation practices by providing increased, permanent funding for those programs.” “We are particularly pleased to see that Sen. Stabenow’s proposal preserves the climate sideboards for Inflation Reduction Act funding, includes bold new provisions to protect native grasslands through a nationwide sodsaver provision, and includes new provisions to support wildlife corridors on working lands,” O’Mara said. He also called for farm bill passage this year. The Agroforestry Coalition said its members are “delighted” to see both drafts. The coalition is composed of more than 200 individuals representing over 90 organizations working together to advance agroforestry on U.S. farms and ranches that integrate trees and other perennial crops into their agricultural systems. The group said Stabenow’s bill “takes important steps to advance agroforestry to meet the needs of farmers and communities for climate resilience, farm sustainability, and economic opportunity.” “The draft includes an Agroforestry Pilot Program as part of the Conservation Reserve Program, which will allow owners and operators to enroll eligible land in CRP as they implement and maintain agroforestry systems that conserve and improve soil, water, and wildlife resources,” the coalition said. “The draft also includes increased funding for the National Agroforestry Center and authorization for new regional agroforestry centers, along with additional support for the Forest Farming Association and funding for agroforestry research.” |
| Deb Atwood, Meridian Institute senior fellow and senior adviser to AGree, said, Stabenow “is leading the way by outlining policies that enhance agricultural data protection and access by creating a secure data environment accessible to approved researchers.” “AGree has championed this effort as we know that knowledge is key to agricultural conservation adoption and improved economic benefits to producers. Farmers need and want to know how adopting new practices will impact their farm’s resilience and profitability. The draft also underscores the importance of expanding crop insurance policies that include risk reducing practices and improving policies that cover farmers growing multiple crops in rotation.” Atwood added, “We were also pleased that both parties have committed to increasing baseline funding for conservation programs. This commitment will be key as we work to make our farms more resilient and successful given the increase of extreme weather events and other weather changes.” |
| Association of Equipment Manufacturers Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations Kip Eideberg said Stabenow’s bill “incentivizes the adoption of precision agriculture technologies.” “The next farm bill is an opportunity for Congress to help farmers access the tools they need to monitor, manage, and maximize their operations while advancing climate-smart agriculture practices and protecting our environment,” Eideberg said. “We appreciate the chairwoman’s steadfast efforts to bring together a broad, bipartisan coalition of stakeholders, and encourage her to continue her work in a bipartisan manner to deliver a farm bill that unlocks the full potential of climate-smart agriculture practices.” |
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