Agriculture & Rural Development Archives - Page 30 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

September 28, 2018

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos’ Statement on the Farm Bill Expiring on Sunday

House Republicans cancel all legislative activity until November without Farm Bill compromise in sight, allowing critical programs to lapse WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos released the following statement after House Republicans canceled all legislative activity until November 13th, with the Farm Bill set to expire this Sunday. “With the current Farm Bill set to […]

Press Release

September 5, 2018

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos Begins Work on Farm Bill Conference Committee

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, on the opening day of the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Committee, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos addressed the Committee about the importance of protecting programs of vital importance to rural America. During the month of August, Bustos traveled more than 2,500 miles across the 17th Congressional District where she held more than 20 […]

Press Release

September 4, 2018

Bustos Completes Annual 21st Century Heartland Tour

During the month of August, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos held her annual 21st Century Heartland Tour in which she traveled around Northwest and Central Illinois focusing on the unique challenges facing rural communities and ways to grow our local economy. These events allowed Bustos to hear directly from those involved in the agricultural economy as she […]

Press Release

August 30, 2018

Heitkamp, Bustos Announce New Bill to Use Tariff Revenue to Help U.S. Producers Hurt by Trade War

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos today announced they will introduce new legislation to direct funds the government is collecting from tariffs on imported goods toward trade promotion assistance to help open new markets for farmers and ranchers hurt by the trade war. The government has already collected over $3.5 […]