As the country closes in on two weeks worth of federal government shutdown, the National Farmers Union continues to point out to lawmakers in D.C. how their ineptitude is hurting family farmers.
“Perhaps most disappointing about all of these manufactured crises, exacerbated by the lapsed farm bill, is that solutions are close at hand but Congress chooses not to execute them,” said Johnson.
In particular, NFU President Roger Johnson has been pointing at an early blizzard that wracked parts of the Great Plains last week and created havoc for cattle ranchers. Livestock losses are reaching into the tens of thousands after the pre-season winter storm and sever floods in Colorado earlier in September.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are prepared to handle events like these, but the government shutdown, along with the expired farm bill, leaves ranchers without the urgent help they need,” said Johnson. “Both the House and Senate versions of the pending farm bill include a retroactive livestock indemnity provision, which would provide much-needed assistance to ranchers but cannot be accessed because of the legislative stalemate.”
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