Agriculture & Rural Development Archives - Page 39 of 41

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

February 4, 2014

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos Applauds Senate Passage Of Bipartisan Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement applauding the Senate’s passage of the first bipartisan, five-year Farm Bill since 2008. The Farm Bill now goes to the President’s desk for his signature following the House’s passage of the bill last week. “From the […]

News

January 29, 2014

Quad-City Times: Bustos, Loebsack vote for farm bill

Reps. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, and Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., both voted for the farm bill that passed the House on Wednesday by a 251-166 vote. Bustos, a member of the Agriculture Committee, said the bill would provide certainty for the farm sector. She noted it contains language she sponsored that requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture […]

Press Release

January 29, 2014

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos Supports Passage Of First Bipartisan, Five-Year Farm Bill Since 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, supported passage of the first bipartisan, five-year Farm Bill since 2008. In 2012, Congress failed to pass a five-year Farm Bill, so instead a short-term extension was passed which expired last year. The bill contains an amendment sponsored by Bustos […]

Press Release

January 7, 2014

Bustos: We Should Reward Hunters Who Donate Game & Help Feed The Hungry

Bustos Announces Support For Bipartisan Bill That Rewards Hunters Who Support Charity & Help Feed Hungry Families WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, announced support for bipartisan legislation that would reward hunters from across the country who donate wild game to food banks that help feed […]