Budzinski holds Farm Bill hearing in Monticello
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Several local agricultural leaders are wanting more certainty as the deadline for a federal bill gets close to six months before expiration.
Last year, the Farm Bill was set to expire, as it was the end of its five-year lifespan. Congress ended up renewing the 2018 law with a one-year extension while the House and Senate Agriculture Committee continues to debate the next version of the bill.
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“As negotiations on funding the government progress, we were able to come together to avoid a lapse in funding for critical agricultural programs and provide certainty to producers,” the four leaders of the House and Senate Agricultural Committee said in a joint statement in November. “This extension is in no way a substitute for passing a 5-year Farm Bill and we remain committed to working together to get it done.”
The Farm Bill is a piece of federal legislation that helps farmers with disaster protection, farm loans, and safety net programs. The bill is set to expire on September 30.
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Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) met with several members of her Agricultural Advisory committee in Monticello Friday morning. She’s hoping for bipartisan support to pass the farm bill, and for a draft to appear very soon after Congress reconvenes next month to help alleviate farmers’ worries.
“Farmers are facing, in the year ahead, some potential downturns economically,” Budzinski said. “If we don’t get a Farm Bill on time, that uncertainty creates anxiety in our markets and our agricultural industry.”
The congresswoman also said she along with the Democratic caucus is against Republican proposals for the bill that would cut money for the Supplemental Nutrition Access Program, which is approximately 80% of the total farm bill package.
Some priorities the representative said she’d like to see in the Farm Bill are grants to support young and upcoming farmers, agricultural research, and investments in central Illinois’ bioeconomy.
Budzinski also highlighted local achievements in agriculture like the iFab laboratory, and Richland Community College being a finalist for a Recompete Grant.
Illinois Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) and Congressman Eric Sorenson (D-IL) are also in the House Agriculture Committee.
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