Farmers, Ranchers, Foresters, and Consumers Deserve Certainty

Floor Speech

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Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Thompson as well as our colleagues on the Ag Committee.

As a sixth-generation Iowan and part of a Century Family Farm, collectively, we know the hands, hearts, and hard work of Iowa farmers who feed and fuel the world.

Every Iowan is impacted by this upcoming farm bill and the agriculture policy that is included, whether it is part of the supply chain, in the grocery store checkout line, or at the dinner table, as I, with my six kids, know very well, based on our grocery bills.

Unfortunately, input costs are up, surging 35 percent in recent years, and inflation is driving those profits down. We know this: Farmers are not price makers. They are price takers. Too often, as the chairman has highlighted, they end up bearing the brunt of those cost increases.

It was reported earlier this year that Iowa pork producers alone are experiencing their worst losses in 25 years amid a difficult economy. Producers are facing enough difficulties without worrying about D.C. being the one that hurts their business. They deserve far better than to be saddled with the consequences of politicians here in D.C. who might not be doing their job.

That is why it is important that we must pass a bipartisan farm bill as soon as possible, and I am grateful for our chairman taking the reins on this.

Our farmers deserve to have the certainty they need to continue running their operations after a busy harvest season. It is critical that this farm bill include key provisions, including strengthening the farm safety net for the more than 85,000 family farms in my home State of Iowa and so many more around the country; supporting the next generation of farmers' access to capital, as well as beginning their own farm operations; increasing rural economic development with access to credit for grants, loans, and improved infrastructure, including improvement for rural broadband; and bolstering innovation and security in agriculture by expanding cybersecurity resources, where ag is one of the top three sectors under attack today, and, importantly, preventing places like China from purchasing farmland right here in America.

Ultimately, we must help the farmers, the best stewards of our land, conserve their farmland as our natural resource.

Unleashing America's energy independence begins with a fight for biofuels in places like Iowa.

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to fight for Iowa's farmers and producers as we move forward, and I look forward to working with the chairman and this team. It is time for Congress to come together to pass a farm bill for the betterment of our farmers, producers, communities, and families like yours and mine.

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