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> Newsline | Mar 05, 2024

AFBF Urges Congress to Pass Agriculture Funding Bills

TOPICS

Congress Appropriations Farm Bill

Micheal Clements

News Service Editor, NAFB

Emily Buckman

Director, Government Affairs

photo credit: AFBF Photo, Philip Gerlach

The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging lawmakers to fund the federal government by passing a partial funding bill, called a minibus. Micheal Clements shares the latest from Capitol Hill.

Clements: As yet another federal funding deadline looms, the American Farm Bureau Federation encourages Congress to pass a series of funding bills this week. AFBF Government Affairs Director Emily Buckman explains.

Buckman: Well, over the weekend, Congress released text of a six-bill ‘minibus’ which also includes the agriculture funding bill. AFBF would like to see the government funded and would like to see the minibus passed by Congress this week. So, we did take action and sent a letter urging all members of Congress to support the minibus, which would avoid a partial shutdown.

Clements: Buckman says a federal government shutdown of any kind is a no-win situation for everyone.

Buckman: We clearly do not benefit from a shutdown. Farmers wouldn’t be able to take out loans including mortgage loans, crop loans. It would impact disaster payments, USDA offices across the country would be hit. So, we want to see the government funded. We want to move past fiscal year 2024 appropriations so that we can move forward on other pieces of legislation like the farm bill.

Clements: She encourages farmers and ranchers to contact their lawmakers on the issue.

Buckman: Farm Bureau members should ask Congress to fund the federal government to avoid a partial shutdown, which could happen this Friday if Congress has not passed a minibus. We encourage our members to reach out to their congressional delegations and ask Congress to fund the federal government.

Clements: Micheal Clements, Washington.

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