Farmers and ranchers are an integral partner in the fight against climate change.

These disasters, driven by an increasingly variable climate, pose serious threats to the domestic agricultural industry and the rural communities depending on this sector.

If we want our agriculture sector to remain competitive, particularly when operating in an increasingly variable climate, we must bolster the resources available to producers.

This proposal will undermine the integrity of these agencies and their ability to operate, and it was followed by an FY20 Budget Request which proposed cutting the number of ERS employees in half.

Any reforms to USDA's research agencies must have clear benefits to ag research and be conducted in a transparent manner.

The decision to relocate ERS and NIFA lacks transparency and is not supported by an overwhelming majority of the stakeholders who partner with the agencies.

As the Delegate for the Virgin Islands, I represent the University of the Virgin Islands, a land-grant university, and it has skin in the game, as do the territory's small-scale producers who benefit from fully staffed agencies.

Secretary Perdue's claim that the research agencies are better served elsewhere is misconstrued.

We look forward to working together to address the immediate issue of the impending Medicaid fiscal funding cliff.

Earlier this month, Governor Rossello submitted Puerto Rico's official Medicaid ask to Congress: $15.1 billion in funding at an 83 percent FMAP for 5 years.

We are requesting a 100 percent Federal Medicaid matching rate be extended to the U.S. Virgin Islands for 2 additional Federal fiscal years.

I love my island--it is my home, and I am committed to working with Congress to create a Medicaid system that all of us can be proud of.

We believe that there needs to be a permanent statutory fix that addresses the unfair and disparate treatment all territories face in their Medicaid programs along the lines of H.R. 1354, the Territories Health Equity Act.

there are individuals that are presently in the Virgin Islands, maybe in other territories as well, who are just not receiving any health insurance.

Thank you for your consideration and attention to these urgent matters.

The devastating life-and-death outcomes that we face with the potential loss of this ACA funding justifies an increase in the territory's Medicaid funding block grants.

Medicaid is our people's and our territory's lifeline for medical care services.

Obamacare provided some relief--an extra $7.3 billion in temporary Medicaid funding and a permanent change to the match to 45 local/55 Federal.