Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) to Host Twitter Town Hall on How She's Fighting to Pass a Long-Term Farm Bill
Press Release
U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) will host a Twitter Town Hall on Thursday, October 31, starting at 11:15 a.m. CT about her work to pass a bipartisan, comprehensive Farm Bill that stands up for North Dakota's farmers, ranchers, and low-income families.
"Since day one in the Senate, I have fought to pass a Farm Bill that stands up for North Dakota's farmers, ranchers, and low-income families. I'm looking forward to chatting with North Dakotans about what I'm fighting for in a Farm Bill and why it's so important for North Dakota," said Heitkamp. "The Farm Bill expired at the end of September. I'm hopeful the House and Senate are finally working to negotiate a compromise bill, and we will soon see some results. Because we don't have a Farm Bill, right now ranchers are forced to go without disaster assistance when they lose livestock, as we've seen from the recent storm. Farmers aren't able to get crop insurance which helps them avoid going belly up during bad growing seasons which they can't prevent."
In addition to in-person meetings, phone calls, emails and letters, Twitter is another way for Heitkamp to connect and hear from North Dakotans.
Starting today, anyone following @SenatorHeitkamp on Twitter can begin submitting questions about the Farm Bill by including #AskHeidiH with their tweet.
How it works:
- Log on to www.Twitter.com today through the end of the town hall on Thursday.
- Post a tweet with a question about the Farm Bill followed by your hometown and #AskHeidiH. For example: What cuts were made in the Senate's Farm Bill? Casselton #AskHeidiH
- Senator Heitkamp will reply to as many tweets as possible regarding the Farm Bill.
Twitter Town Hall
Who: Senator Heidi Heitkamp
When: Thursday, October 31, 2013, 11:15 a.m. CT
Where: @SenatorHeitkamp and #AskHeidiH
Background:
Heitkamp played a key role in writing the Senate version of the Farm Bill, a bipartisan bill the Senate passed in June. The bill reduces the federal deficit by more than $24 billion and supports more than 16 million jobs nationwide. Heitkamp has stressed policies that recognize the needs of states that experience wet seasons, the importance of taking into account large counties that require farm level programs, and the necessity of the reauthorization of livestock disaster programs. She has also advocated for the inclusion of a number of research and development programs important to producers in the Upper Plains Region.
On October 22, Heitkamp met with ranchers from southwestern North Dakota who are recovering from a devastating fall snowstorm that killed tens of thousands of cattle across the region and destroyed up to 50 percent of many ranchers' cattle herds. Heitkamp connected the ranchers with resources, such as agriculture groups and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and reinforced the need to pass a comprehensive Farm Bill so ranchers aren't forced to go without critical support.
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