THE FENCE POST: Craig unveils farm aid package
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., the ranking member on the House Agriculture Committee who is also a candidate for nomination for the Senate seat of retiring Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., on Thursday unveiled the framework of the Farm and Family Relief Act.
Surrounded by other Democrats who serve on House Agriculture at a news conference, Craig said the framework is a “response to President Trump’s crushing tariffs and massive unfunded mandate to the states through a cost-shift in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — which have endangered the financial well being of farmers, increased the cost of groceries and threatened food access for millions of American children, seniors and veterans.”
“Americans know that life is simply more expensive today than when President Trump took office last year,” Craig said in a news release.
“Family farmers have been bankrupted by Trump’s ill-conceived trade wars and state governments are facing the terrifying reality that they may need to let millions of residents go hungry because of his heartless cuts to food assistance,” Craig said.
“The Farm and Family Relief Act doesn’t pick winners and losers. It helps all Americans by reigning in the tariffs that have increased our cost of living, giving states breathing room to adapt to shifting SNAP rules and providing an economic lifeline to farmers so they can continue to feed our nation and the world. Unlike the Trump administration, which loves to pick winners and losers, the Farm and Family Relief Act has provisions that help all Americans — and only as a package can we deliver true relief to the American people.”
Craig was joined at the press conference by Reps. Shontel Brown of Ohio, Jim Costa of California, Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, Andrea Salinas of Oregon, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico and Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan.
Craig’s office released a one-page summary of the measure.
Mike Lavender, policy director of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said in a news release, “The past year has brought unprecedented uncertainty, pushing countless farmers and ranchers to the brink.”
“The Farm and Family Relief Act gets the urgency of this moment right — robust financial relief is long overdue. NSAC urges congressional leaders to build on this framework toward an outcome that delivers for farmers and families.
“This includes making sure any financial assistance is available to all farmers who need it, keeping farmers on the land by providing additional loan support, preventing foreclosures, and offering broad eligibility to actively engaged farmers.
“Still, this immediate financial relief is not enough to break the cycle: we also need investments that build reliable domestic markets and expand access to conservation practices that help farmers reduce persistently high input costs,” Lavender said.