Ranking Member Boozman has been sharing his perspectives on the farm safety net, rural infrastructure and school meal guidelines in opinion sections recently.
Here’s a rundown:
The editorial board of Washington Post published a piece filled with inaccurate claims about the farm safety net. The paper published Ranking Member Boozman’s letter to the editor that sets the record straight.
Without the farm bill, very few American farmers could survive
“Without the farm bill’s risk-management tools, very few could accept those terms and continue as farmers.”
“In rural America, agriculture is all that is left. But judging from the tone of this editorial — and the disregard for “small farm states” — it seems as though the writers wouldn’t mind if the family farms that color our rural landscape disappeared.”
Ranking Member Boozman’s full response in the May 12, 2023 edition of the Washington Post
Ranking Member Boozman was invited to author a piece for a special section on infrastructure in the Washington Times. He used the opportunity to highlight how the farm bill can transform rural America by helping to modernize the infrastructure in these communities.
The farm bill can bring modern infrastructure to rural America
“In the past, we would talk about infrastructure in terms of the three “r’s” roads, rails and runways. Those days are gone. It is simply not enough anymore. While the three “r’s” certainly are vital to a region’s growth, infrastructure plans for the 21st century must also incorporate broadband internet access and improvements to water systems.”
“These programs are the gateway for new businesses, new facilities, and importantly, new jobs to come to these regions that have been passed over for far too long. Our rural communities must have the modern infrastructure necessary to attract and retain talent. Farm bill-funded programs are key to that effort.”
“When one region of the country suffers, the whole nation does. We cannot leave rural America behind. Infrastructure investments across rural America will allow new businesses, with new well-paying jobs, to flourish around our family farms, ranches and forests that provide our food, fuel and fiber.”
K-12 Dive published a piece Ranking Member Boozman penned jointly with U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, that advocates for prioritizing the views of school foodservice providers and nutritionists when creating dietary guidelines for school meals.
School foodservice programs deserve better than Beltway ‘experts’
“Unfortunately for schools and families, Washington bureaucrats think they have a better grasp of what children should and will eat than those serving our children. Science may design the perfect meal, but isn’t that irrelevant if children who need it most won’t consume it?”
“It is time we heed the advice of those doing the real work in our local communities. They care deeply about nutrition and their students, are masters of the balanced meal, and they know what kids will eat.”
“USDA must stop giving lip service to these hard-working professionals and students. School foodservice providers and nutritionists deserve a stronger voice than Beltway “experts.” Hear their concerns, and truly listen to understand.”