Angie Craig: “As the only Marylander on the House Ag Committee, I rise to speak about what is at stake in this farm bill for our…”

“As the only Marylander on the House Ag Committee, I rise to speak about what is at stake in this farm bill for our farmers and also for rural America. The ag sector is personal to me, as I grew up in a farming family in Idaho, a potato farmer's daughter, and right now farms are being squeezed in every direction: higher costs due to tariffs, immigration-related labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions. There is a 46 percent increase in farm bankruptcies this year over last. It is a crisis. USDA is also moving forward with a major reorganization without clear congressional approval. I strongly believe this reorganization will cost more in the long run than it saves and will undercut vital services farmers need. A real concern is the loss of decades of institutional knowledge and agency expertise, as USDA civil servants are not uprooting their lives to relocate across the country, which then translates into less technical assistance and ongoing support for our farmers. Equally important, and the reason why I have waited for 6 hours to speak, is pivotal national research is being undermined.”