A U.S. Senator from Kansas says some members of the Senate Appropriations Committee met recently to discuss how to fund farmer relief.
Jerry Moran says, “When it’s determined by the administration the total amount of funds necessary, how do we collect those funds and make them available in a legal, statutory manner?”
He says Congress will need to pass legislation to alter how Section 32 funds operate to access tariff money.
“For the normal tariffs permitted under law, unrelated to a declaration of emergency, those resources must have grown. We’ll have to make certain we do this in a way that doesn’t damage that (programs already funded under Section 32) and yet provides direct assistance.”
Moran says it appears the USDA already has more than $12 billion ready for economic aid through the Commodity Credit Corporation, but that’s not likely sufficient to meet the demand for farmer aid.
Moran says the U.S. Senate is also considering ways to support and/or complement the assistance the Trump administration provides farmers.
“Helping with input costs and interest costs are also a significant component in the financial well-being of farmers.”
Moran says lawmakers understand that timing matters for any assistance that U.S. farmers receive.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Congress is typically very measured in their approach to issues affecting Americans, especially if it involves government funds. We are very hopeful that they will act sooner than later when it comes to supporting crop farmers. We generally are not in favor of government payments to farmers, but when they are the victims through no fault of their own of trade complications, then we fully support efforts to make them whole. By doing so it also supports our nation’s security interests. Hopefully Congress will act in a timely manner and help bring some sense of certainty and stability to a very difficult situation.
You can also play a role in bringing certainty and stability to farmers/ranchers in your area. How? By promoting AgPack® as a means of helping farmers get products and services they want and use in their operations. Also, CADFI can be a great tool for you to use in matching payments to income timing. Check it out if you haven’t done so already.
