Agriculture & Rural Development Archives - Page 10 of 56

Fighting For Illinois’ Agricultural Economy

As a member of Congress from a rural district who comes from a long line of family farmers, I know how important our growers and producers are to our local economy. In western and central Illinois, we have some of the richest farmland in the nation, and agriculture is the top economic driver.

That’s why as a member of the House Agriculture Committee I’ve made growing our agricultural economy a priority.

When I was a new member of Congress, I was proud to work across party lines to pass the first long-term Farm Bill in years. This bipartisan legislation provided a stable and strong crop insurance program while maintaining funding for programs that feed hungry children and families across Illinois.

Then, in 2018, I fought to pass another bipartisan Farm Bill that included several key pieces of legislation I authored, including:

The Farmers of Tomorrow Act, which makes it easier for young farmers to buy land and put roots down in agriculture;
The Rural Health Liaison Act, which created a new position at the USDA that focuses on improving the delivery of health care to rural America; and
The Addiction Recovery for Rural Communities Act, which helps rural Americans better leverage USDA programs to combat opioid and heroin abuse.

But to keep our agricultural economy growing, we need to help our farmers export their products to new markets. That’s why I traveled to Cuba with the Illinois-Cuba Working Group and the Illinois Farm Bureau to help our farmers develop the right relationships so they can export more of our agricultural products.

It’s also crucial that our growers and producers have a seat at the table when negotiating new agreements with our trading partners. In August 2019, I set up a meeting at the Illinois State Fair between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss agricultural priorities for the renegotiation of NAFTA—which later became known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

I later cast my vote in favor of a strong USMCA, securing export markets for the agriculture sector with some of our most reliable trading partners and establishing a robust framework for future trade deals.

Additionally, over the past few years, we’ve seen the Trump Administration partner with Big Oil to dismantle the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)—a move that has been devastating to our corn growers and biofuels producers alike. I’ve been working to restore the integrity of the RFS and to ensure that our growers and producers have the support they need to keep our agricultural sector strong and continue investing in the production of cleaner-burning fuels.

While we still have a lot of work to do to ensure a brighter future for our 21st century agricultural heartland, here are several recent examples of the work I’m doing.

More on Agriculture & Rural Development

Press Release

December 2, 2020

Bustos Helps Pass Grain Standards Reauthorization Act

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, helped pass the U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act, which authorizes the Federal Grain Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish marketing standards like weight and quality for certain grains and oilseeds including corn, soybeans, wheat and more. This […]

Press Release

October 29, 2020

Bustos, Finkenauer, LaHood, Loebsack Applaud Army Corps of Engineers Recognition of Corn Belt Port as Top 100 in the Nation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Abby Finkenauer (IA-01), Darin LaHood (IL-18) and Dave Loebsack (IA-02) announced today that the recently federally-designated Corn Belt Ports were named as “Leading U.S. Ports in 2019” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ranking in the top 100 ports in the United States by tonnage moved. The […]

Press Release

October 23, 2020

Illinois Biofuels Producers, Industry Leaders Join Call for Bustos’ Next Generation Fuel Act

“It represents an opportunity for economic development for rural economies all over Illinois.” “…a win for farmers, motorists, and the rural economy.” “…an enormous step… this legislation offers the path to a homegrown, green renewable fuel…” WASHINGTON – Biofuels producers and leading organizations in Illinois are joining the call in support of Congresswoman Cheri Bustos’ (IL-17) Next Generation […]

News

October 15, 2020

Bustos, Finkenauer, LaHood, Loebsack Request for Corn Belt Port Designation in Illinois Answered by Army Corps of Engineers

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) announced recently that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the creation of the three Port Statistical Areas (PSAs) in the Heart of the Corn Belt, which includes key ports in Illinois and Iowa. The Corps will designate the Mississippi River Ports of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois (MRPEIWI), the Mid-America Port […]