Source: US HOUSE AG COMMITTEE, 10/8/21 Editor's Note: U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) signed the letter In
a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority
Leader Chuck Schumer Wednesday, House Agriculture Committee Chairman
David Scott of Georgia and all of the Democratic Committee members
reaffirmed support of the historic nature of the Build Back Better Act, while
emphasizing the need to preserve agricultural provisions.
The letter read as follows: Dear
President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Schumer, As we work with the White House to deliver on the Build Back Better Agenda, we—the Democratic Members of the House Committee on Agriculture—wanted to highlight the critical investments we have included in our portions of the budget reconciliation process. These investments are essential to maintaining President Biden’s promise to “build back better” not just in urban and suburban communities, but also in rural and agricultural communities across the nation. As such, we respectfully urge that these provisions be maintained in any version of the Build Back Better Act passed by Congress. The
provisions included in the agriculture portion of the Build Back Better
Act will make transformative investments that will benefit
agricultural producers and rural communities for years and decades to come in
the areas of agricultural research, rural development, renewable energy, biofuels,
conservation, and forestry, as well as providing debt relief and assistance to
economically distressed, at risk, and historically underserved farmers and
producers. America
has been the world leader in agricultural research and innovation, but that position
is at risk if we do not make key investments in research and education programs
and our agricultural research facilities to help mitigate the impacts of
climate change on our food and fiber production. These scholarships and
investments will help train the next generation of agricultural scientists and
specialists and ensure equity in agriculture by developing a diverse pipeline
of agriculture professionals. The
Build Back Better agenda put a special emphasis on ensuring that rural
communities and our communities at risk in rural areas be provided with the
tools to address the need for clean drinking water, a transition to renewable
energy sources, encouraging energy efficiency efforts, and continuing a role
for biofuels in our transportation system. The
funding provided for climate-smart agriculture practices will help to address
the fact that our current farm bill conservation programs are already
oversubscribed with continuing backlogs that show the demand from producers and
landowners willing to undertake efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
rebuild soil carbon. We have also included a historic investment that will allow USDA’s Forest Service to be more responsive and proactive in their efforts to mitigate the disastrous wildfire years that have ravaged our Western states and to work with their partners on the needs of state and private forests, including reaching out to underserved private forest landowners. As
we work towards a path forward, we encourage you to keep these crucial investments
in place, and we look forward to any further discussions on the importance
these investments will have, especially as we prepare to write the next farm
bill. Sincerely,
Rep. David Scott, Chairman
A copy of the letter, along with each signatory, is
available here.
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