Following the release of the Senate farm bill, Jake Johnson said that while the proposal includes some vital positive provisions, it still falls short of what southern Minnesota farmers and rural communities need. The bill does not include year-round E15, it reduces funding for key conservation programs such as EQIP, it leaves in place the major cuts to SNAP that Congressman Brad Finstad championed last year, and it does little to tackle rising input costs. 

"While this overdue Senate proposal contains some good provisions, it misses key priorities for southern Minnesota, including year-round E15, measures to lower input costs, and full funding for conservation and nutrition programs," said Jake Johnson. "And importantly, it doesn't meet the moment. Farmers are facing the worst economy in a generation, driven by high input costs, low commodity prices, and disappearing export markets. This is not the time for a mediocre, status quo bill that kicks our biggest challenges down the road for another five years."

For decades, farm bills were built through bipartisan coalitions that united farm country and nutrition advocates. Jake argued that turning the bipartisan legislative process into a partisan food fight has made it far harder for Congress to build the broad coalition needed to truly deliver for rural America.

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