Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)
This morning, Representative Sharice Davids offered the following statement after voting to pass a Farm Bill out of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee:
“It’s been eight years since Congress passed a Farm Bill, and Kansas farmers are operating in an environment of high input costs, tight margins, and unstable markets due to reckless tariffs. I voted to advance this Farm Bill because it strengthens crop insurance, invests in agricultural research and rural development, and keeps us moving toward the certainty producers need.
“That said, this should have been a more bipartisan, consensus-driven process. Farm Bills are strongest when they are built together, and maintaining that coalition — including strong nutrition assistance programs that help families manage high grocery prices while supporting farm demand — is critical to long-term success. This is not a final product, but moving it forward keeps us on a path toward delivering the predictable policy, open markets, and lower costs Kansas producers and families are asking for.”
Background:
Davids submitted several amendments to strengthen the bill for Kansas families and producers, including one praised as “an excellent amendment” by Republican Chairman “GT” Thompson (PA-15). The accepted amendment is supported by Kansas Wheat and would direct the Natural Resources Conservation Service to study the impacts of winter wheat as a cover crop through harvest. Currently, winter wheat is treated one way if it’s grown as a cover crop and another way if it’s grown as a regular cash crop, even though it can do both at the same time when managed properly. Studying this could remove this unnecessary red tape, help farmers make better choices, protect the soil, and support rural communities.