Jeff Fortenberry: “First of all, let me say how thankful I am for the leadership of Chairman Bishop and, frankly, for the partnership that…”

“First of all, let me say how thankful I am for the leadership of Chairman Bishop and, frankly, for the partnership that we have developed over this past year. It has been truly remarkable. I also thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their intensive effort around this important piece of legislation, and that of the staff. This is good for America. Agriculture, Madam Speaker, is, in its essence, really essential to the well-being of our country. The Agriculture portion of this entire package includes support for the hard work of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who give us something that we really all do take for granted, some of the lowest grocery prices in the world, as well as protection for the most vulnerable who are in the midst of food insecurity and disaster relief for humanitarian causes. Madam Speaker, in the midst of a House divided, I would like to say this: Food is food. A meal brings us together. Agriculture production is the basis for economic and social well-being, and I am very proud of this effort. We found a reasonable path forward to consensus in meeting the needs of fellow Members. This cooperation allowed us to fight hard to defend, in a bipartisan fashion, House Member priorities. For example, this bill includes funding streams for the building and rebuilding of critical infrastructure needed in our rural communities, from housing to utilities to economic development.…”