Chellie Pingree: “I thank my good friend from Georgia for yielding me the time. I rise in opposition to this bill. This bill will hurt our…”

“I thank my good friend from Georgia for yielding me the time. I rise in opposition to this bill. This bill will hurt our farmers, it will hurt women and children, and it will hurt rural America. It provides $17.8 billion, the lowest level of funding for 16 years. This bill hurts our ability to fight the climate crisis by limiting the flexibility of the Credit Commodity Corporation that the USDA uses to give farmers the tools they need to respond to climate change. It slashes funds for climate hubs and climate research, following the hottest months ever recorded on Earth. It strips resources for the Rural Energy for America Program, which will make electricity more expensive for over 1,600 residents in my district. It zeros out funding for the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production that handles composting and food waste. This means even more greenhouse gases will be released into our atmosphere. This bill includes language to prevent the USDA from implementing a rule to protect farmers and ranchers from anticompetitive behavior in the meat and poultry industry. Mr. Chairman, I want to be very clear about the cuts Republicans are making to WIC, the nutrition program for women, infants, and children. This bill cuts WIC by $800 million. This bill also slashes the available funds for families to buy fruits and vegetables. This bill cuts WIC fruit and vegetable benefits by 56 percent for children and up to 70 percent for women.…”