Colin Allred visits Texas Panhandle to get closer look at wildfire aftermath, ag issues

Democratic senatorial candidate and current U.S. Rep. Colin Allred visited the Texas Panhandle last week to get a bird's-eye view of the devastation caused by multiple wildfires, including the largest in state history, which destroyed well over a million acres of land and more than 500 structures in the region.

Allred said that he came to speak to citizens about the fire's impacts and to examine issues affecting the region's agriculture industry.

“I am concerned about the future of the agricultural industry here, including ranching and farming, concerning the age of our farmers and the fact that we do not seemingly have enough young folks entering the industry with the high cost of entry into the field,” Allred said. “We must strengthen crop insurance to provide flexibility for tough years due to extreme drought conditions that hit folks here the hardest. This area is a significant part of the state and national economy. We need a senator that is focused on that rather than the culture wars that Senator (Ted) Cruz seems to be focused on.”

Going forward, Allred feels that the state needs to be better prepared for these extreme weather events, which could lead to less tragic outcomes and a strong focus on recovery from this devastation.

“During my time in Congress, I have worked to roll up my sleeves to try to get things done, and to me, the farm bill is a perfect opportunity to do this,” said Allred, who has served the 32nd District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019. “The infrastructure bill had some significant investments for our farming community, particularly involving water infrastructure, and it was wrong for Senator Cruz to vote against that bill. I voted for these important investments. We must work on human infrastructure and be better prepared for a less predictable agriculture cycle, and there is a federal role to play. We need to try as much as we can to use these federal programs that are currently available to make some of those that suffered from this fire whole.”

Allred said that the recent devastation will be a multi-year recovery, and he wants to work hand in hand with those affected to make sure that they know what resources are available and can use them in the most favorable way possible to assist in the aftermath. He said that he was disappointed that the farm bill got delayed, which could have been of much greater help to those who need it most in the region.

“There were some important improvements to crop insurance that we could have made to help our farmers, as well as important investments across the state with the new Farm Bill,” he said. “We also have many Texans that rely on the food benefits from the Farm Bill. We are a state that has much to gain or lose from the bill being in a good place. I think, unfortunately, like a lot of issues in D.C., the Farm Bill has been caught up in a partisan struggle. I have been the most bipartisan member of the Texas Congressional delegation, and I am proud of that. As a senator, I will have a greater ability to pass some of these hurdles than having to kick the can down the road or miss opportunities. When we constantly fail to pass legislation due to partisan infighting, real Texans get hurt.”

Speaking about the recent bipartisan immigration reform and border bill falling apart, Allred emphasized that a comprehensive approach consistent with humane American values, a secure border, and legal immigration for essential workers in every field are needed.

“If we make our legal immigration better, it will help us with our crisis at the border, because one of the things that coyotes and smugglers take advantage of is people do not have a consistent legal path to coming here because our immigration system is so broken,” Allred said. “We need a secure border, but I do not think it has to be just barbed wire and cruelly treating people. We need a stable process that works much faster so that we do not have people waiting so long to determine their status. I am frustrated that the bipartisan bill that the Senate was working on, which had billions of dollars for border security, additional border patrol agents, immigration judges, and significant changes to the asylum system, was not advanced. That would have been a huge benefit for Texas, but Senator Cruz took it down, not due to policy but politics, to use it as a campaign issue in November.”

Allred dominated the March 5 Democratic U.S. Senate primary to advance to face two-term GOP incumbent Sen. Cruz in November's election. Allred was the winner out of a field of nine candidates, including state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio.

Allred stressed that his race would be important for Texas’ future, serving well beyond who is the next president.

“Texans have to decide what direction we need to go,” he said. “Do we want to have the most divisive and least productive senator in the country who does nothing for us but always wants to pursue a culture war and just wants to see himself in the news? Or do we want a senator who has a record of bipartisanship to get things done and who wants to try to bring us together as a state? We cannot afford six more years of Ted Cruz.”

Allred said his focus is to work for all Texans in such a dynamic, rapidly growing state.

“I am a fourth-generation Texan who was born and raised in Dallas by a single mom; it was a big deal for my family when I got a scholarship to play football at Baylor and made it to the NFL,” he said. “This state has shaped me, and I believe in us as a state. I want to bring us back together as a state. I think we have had leadership that has pitted us against each other, trying to maximize our differences rather than appeal to our common values as Texans and figure out how we can work together.”

He also said that the attacks on fundamental freedoms for women’s health care in the state, retiring with dignity, working hard, and playing by the rules will get one ahead genuinely concern all in the state.

“Those fundamental freedoms have been under attack across the country, particularly in the state, and I want to restore them,” Allred said. “If there is one thing I know about, Texans tend to believe in freedom, and this is what this election is all about. In the NFL, we had guys that we used to call 'me' guys, and Senator Cruz is the ultimate 'me' guy. He is always putting himself first and not necessarily what is best for Texas. I have tried to serve in Congress with the exact opposite approach and get what is best done for the people of my state.”

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Candidate Colin Allred weighs in on farm bill, wildfires, ag issues