Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik met virtually with members of the New York Farm Bureau to discuss their federal legislative priorities and reaffirm her commitment to supporting North Country agriculture.
During the meeting, Congresswoman Stefanik announced that she has sent a [[{"fid":"1535","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"link_text":"letter","type":"media","field_deltas":{"3":{"format":"default"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"3"}}]] to incoming Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to emphasize her support for USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which greatly helped address food insecurity in rural communities across the North Country. She also announced her support for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, bipartisan legislation that she also supported in the 116th Congress to reform the H-2A agricultural guest worker program and create a merit-based visa program designed for agriculture. More information on that bill is available here.
“Our farmers are the backbone of our North Country economy, and they have continued to provide for our rural communities despite the challenges wrought by COVID-19. I will advocate for our North Country farmers as they seek to address longstanding labor issues, overcome the pandemic, expand trade options, and continue to produce wholesome product for our families and communities,” said Congresswoman Stefanik.
In addition, Congresswoman has recently taken several actions to assist North County agricultural producers, businesses and surrounding rural communities:
- Sent letter to President Biden requesting the resumption of the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to immediately process and issue direct payments to participating farmers
- Cosponsored GIVE MILK Act – increases access to milk products for those who participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Cosponsored Fairness for Craft Beverage Producers Act – provides full access to the Paycheck Protection Program loans for small brewers and distillers
