On the recordSeptember 7, 2018
As the farm bill conference committee begins their negotiations, I rise today to urge conferees to include a provision important to Delaware farmers. Many of our farmers utilize cost share programs under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, known as EQIP. The program provides growers with funds to make necessary farm improvements, while also mitigating environmental risks. Farmers know what they need. They should be able to access these funds when they anticipate a problem, not after one has cropped up. That is why, this morning, I join my Delaware colleagues, Senators Carper and Coons, in urging the farm bill conference committee to include updates to the EQIP program so farmers can get access to the funds sooner, reducing their costs and environmental footprint, while promoting stewardship of our cherished farmland. Tweaking the EQIP program may seem like a small change, but it produces big wins for Delaware's farmers and our environment. I urge my colleagues to include this language in the conference report. ____________________
