This upcoming Sunday, the people of Venezuela will hold an election that, if legitimate, would put an end to years of the oppressive Maduro narco-regime. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued a statement in support of the Venezuelan people: “The...
Este próximo domingo, el pueblo venezolano tendrá una elección que, de ser legítima, pondría fin a años de opresión por parte del narco-régimen de Maduro. El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) grabó un mensaje de video en español y emitió una declaración en...
Twenty-three years ago, the United States was attacked by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. Now, Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted in a U.S. court for his role in the attack, has requested the U.S. Department of Justice to allow a prisoner transfer...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s...
As the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) opens up new facilities, many veterans are losing access to the VA’s Community Care Program and, consequently, their long-term healthcare providers. Veterans throughout the country have reported a loss of care, including...
The U.S.-India partnership is vital to countering influences from Communist China. In order to strengthen this partnership, it is essential to enhance our strategic diplomatic, economic, and military relationship with New Delhi. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)...
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined 53 members of Congress, including majorities from both the Florida and Texas congressional delegations, to propose a bipartisan framework for agricultural disaster relief in the wake of the devastating 2017 hurricane season, and urged its passage before Christmas as part of a supplemental funding bill.
In November, Rubio criticized the administration’s most recent disaster supplemental request, arguing that it did not include sufficient, targeted resources for Florida’s farmers. Rubio has consistently led the Florida congressional delegation’s efforts to secure federal resources for Hurricane Irma recovery efforts in Florida including the delegation’s initial request for a comprehensive relief package in October.
The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and U.S. Representatives Michael Conaway (R-TX), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Tom Rooney (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Val Demings (D-FL),Ted Deutch (D-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Al Lawson (D-FL), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Bill Posey (R-FL), Francis Rooney (R-FL), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Dennis Ross (R-FL), John Rutherford (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Ted Yoho (R-FL), Brian Babin (R-TX), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Filemon Vela (D-TX), Randy Weber (R-TX), Gene Green (D-TX), Kevin Brady (R-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Joaquín Castro (D-TX), Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Bill Flores (R-TX), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Pete Olson (R-TX), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Will Hurd (R-TX), John Culberson (R-TX), John Ratcliffe (R-TX), Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), Ted Poe (R-TX), David Scott (D-GA), Austin Scott (R-GA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Joe Barton (R-TX), and Stacey Plaskett (D-VI).
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Chairmen Frelinghuysen and Cochran and Ranking Members Lowey and Leahy:
The 2017 hurricane season was the most costly and damaging on record. As Congress works to develop and pass a supplemental appropriations bill to help millions of Americans recover and rebuild their lives, we write to urge you to ensure that farm and ranch families are a full part of our recovery efforts under this critical and urgently needed legislation.
We strongly believe that the emergency supplemental must, at minimum, address serious backlogs and eliminate red tape under current emergency programs, provide immediate targeted assistance where there are holes in the farm safety net, and repair the farm safety net where necessary so we do not find ourselves in the same position as we are today when the next natural disaster strikes.
Specifically, we urge the supplemental to address the backlogs in key emergency recovery programs, including the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP). We also urge that the supplemental eliminate the red tape under existing standing disaster programs, including the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP), where arbitrary pay limits, means testing, caps on eligible acreage and available funds, and restrictions that deny help in the case of damage to animals or trees are frustrating recovery efforts.
In addition, we urge the supplemental to include immediate, targeted assistance needed to address holes in the farm safety net, particularly for underserved commodities with low participation and coverage levels under crop insurance and for commodities without an effective safety net. This is not a criticism of crop insurance, which we support. Rather it is a recognition that there is still work to be done under crop insurance to maximize participation and coverage levels for farm and ranch families of all commodities.
Finally, to avoid finding ourselves in this position again in the future, we urge that the supplemental direct the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) to make participation and coverage levels for these underserved commodities a top priority with a date certain by which FCIC must report to Congress with tangible results. We also strongly urge that the holes in the safety net for our dairy and cotton farmers be finally addressed. These producers are coping with natural disasters and a 53 percent drop in net farm income in just three years without a safety net. This situation is exacerbating the financial stress on agriculture in our states and, therefore, addressing this serious matter is a necessary part of any relief.
As you know, while agriculture may have a lower profile in our states relative to other sectors, it remains a quiet giant in driving our economies, creating jobs, and feeding America and much of the world. Our states have a strong, proud, and diverse agriculture tradition and we lead the nation in the production of many important commodities that most of us take for granted every day, including oranges, cotton, tomatoes, cattle and other livestock, a host of fruits and vegetables, dairy, greenhouse plants, sugarcane, and other row crops. A supplemental crafted to help our states recover from historic hurricane damage would be insufficient if it fails to address the needs of our farm and ranch families. Each of these needs is pressing. Many farm and ranch families are trying to secure financing right now and many should be planting within a month’s time. For these families, waiting longer for help is not an option.
We have spent considerable time assessing the staggering losses that have been incurred and listening to farm and ranch families tell us what exactly they need to get back on their feet. We are offering carefully thought out solutions in a direct response to needs on the ground, and we are doing so in a fiscally responsible manner.
We look forward to working with you to address these critical needs before Congress breaks for Christmas.
Sincerely,