WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations mark-up of the FY18 Agriculture Appropriation Bill:
“This bipartisan bill is a win for our farmers, families, and rural communities. By and large, the bill rejects the Trump administration’s shortsighted budget proposal that called for sharp cuts to the Farm Bill and rural development.
“I’m very pleased to see that this bill includes a bipartisan agreement to support both dairy and cotton farmers. I appreciate the leadership of Senator Cochran and Senator Leahy, and I look forward to supporting their efforts as this bill moves forward. As I’ve said throughout the appropriations process, all farmers must be considered if we are going to make significant changes to Farm Bill programs. Not only does this bill make important interim improvements to help dairy farmers recover from tough economic times, it also sets the stage to continue repairing the dairy safety net in the Farm Bill.
“The bill also reverses the Trump administration’s concerning decision to eliminate the USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development. Our small towns and rural communities deserve to have a strong leader to advocate on their behalf. I look forward to working with Secretary Perdue to confirm a qualified nominee to oversee this critically important mission area.”
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