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Peterson on White House Agriculture Budget Request

WASHINGTON (February 11, 2020) – Rep. Collin Peterson, Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, released a statement today in response to the release of the White House’s proposed budget request for fiscal year 2021. The budget includes an 8.2 percent reduction in discretionary spending at USDA when the Department’s field operations are significantly understaffed, as well as proposing billions in mandatory cuts to crop insurance, conservation spending, disaster assistance, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and other programs.

“This is what happens when ideologues decide to cut programs just for the sake of cutting. Their budget short-changes the funding needed to provide adequate service to USDA customers in field offices and eliminates several important rural economic development programs. What’s worse is the President is proposing all these cuts without any attempt to balance the budget.”

“The past year has brought serious economic damage to farmers and rural communities, yet the Administration is proposing to cut billions in programs that they count on in many different ways. I will work to make sure that the farm bill isn’t cut during this year’s budget process.”

The White House has suggested cutting crop insurance by almost $25 billion and conservation programs by more than $9 billion. They also propose to eliminate assistance for livestock producers in drought-stricken areas and end the ability to provide U.S. commodities for food aid. The proposed budget eliminates the Rural Energy for America Program and reduce SNAP spending by $182 billion.

The Administration’s budget cuts are proposed at a time when agriculture producers are struggling to recover from the tariff war and severe weather. The USDA expects net cash farm income to decrease $10.9 billion (9.0 percent) in 2020.

 

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