Political Quotes

“Mr. President, Iowa is home to 88,000 family farmers. These farmers make up the economic foundation of our rural communities, and farmers are the leaders who make up the councils and the school boards across our State. So when we see economists estimate a 20- percent drop in livestock and grain producers' revenue due to COVID-19, it isn't just our farmers who are concerned; it is our whole State. In the CARES Act, we provided USDA with $24.5 billion to address this loss in revenue; however, we know that even with this funding, the supply chain disruptions from COVID-19 will force some agriculture producers to miss payments, and ultimately some will be forced to sell their family farms. The consequences of COVID-19 shutdowns have injected uncertainty that we haven't seen since the farmer crisis of the 1980s. During my time in the Senate, I have always tried to be a vocal advocate for the importance of a safe, affordable, and secure supply of food. But now our country's food supply chain is facing disruptions never envisioned before. As processing plants have shut down due to employees being sick, the supply chain disruptions are being felt by farmers and, of course, by consumers. I ought to tie the two together because it is so important.…”