May 27, 2024
Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture held a markup on the 2024 Farm Bill, formally named the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. A markup meeting is the last step in the committee process, allowing members to go through each section of the bill to offer amendments, culminating in a vote to report the final version of the bill to the House Floor.
The Farm Bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation passed roughly every five years that sets national agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry policy. It includes provisions for crop protections, rural development, nutrition assistance programs, and more. This year’s is 954 pages long, developed with input from farmers, small towns, and stakeholders from across the United States.
When I was elected to represent Western New York and the Southern Tier, knowing that Congress was due to pass a new Farm Bill, I asked to be put on the Agriculture Committee so that our region would have a seat at the table throughout the process. From visiting family farms to meeting with constituents in rural communities, it was important to take their feedback and priorities with me to Washington. I even hosted a Farm Bill Listening Session in Chautauqua County with Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, which was attended by more than 100 constituents.
Out of this feedback, I worked to develop legislation that would meet the unique needs of farmers, small businesses, and communities in NY23. As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, five pieces of legislation that I sponsored were included in the base text of the 2024 Farm Bill — ranging from supporting our critical dairy farms and burgeoning maple syrup industry to workforce development and rural healthcare. I’m happy to report that during the markup, I included my GRAPE Act as an amendment to expand crop protections for grape growers following the freeze that threatened our Lake Erie grape belt in April — my colleagues on the committee voted unanimously to include this in the final Farm Bill.
After a long process, the House Agriculture Committee sent a strong Farm Bill to the House floor. House leadership has yet to announce when the whole House will vote on this legislation, but I look forward to sending it over to the Senate.
This Farm Bill is more than just a set of policies; it is a comprehensive strategy to bolster American agriculture and support rural America. It addresses the critical needs of our farmers and ranchers by providing essential resources and protections to ensure their operations can thrive. The bill also emphasizes rural development, offering support for skilled job training, broadband expansion, and other initiatives that are vital for the growth and sustainability of rural communities.
