Continuing Resolution Funds Government Through April, Addresses Farm Loan Backlog

Press Release

Congressman Kevin Cramer announced the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution passed by the House of Representatives today includes language giving the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) more authority over funding loan programs.

The $1.07 trillion bill continues funding the government through April 28, maintaining funding at the current budget cap levels. "This bill prevents a government shutdown on Friday, and includes provisions to continue essential government operations, including national defense," said Cramer.

The bill's USDA loan provision allows the agency to make loans to farmers and ranchers in proportion to demand, ensuring it can offer credit to producers when demand for loans peak. "This will prevent a recurrence of the situation encountered this year where USDA faced a loan application backlog when it ran out of funds for its direct and guaranteed operating loans," he said. "Our farmers and producers need to know they can move into this next production year having loan options available to them, should they need them, and they almost certainly will need them. Once we get past this we have got to work on the next farm bill modernizing the loan program so it's set up to meet contemporary agriculture issues and demands for capital."

The legislation also includes a provision relating to hours of service rules for truck drivers. It requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to follow the existing 34-hour restart rule for truckers to ensure continuity in federal rest regulations. The Obama Administration issued new rest requirements that are not yet final, pending a Congressionally mandated report from DOT demonstrating the new rule's effectiveness by meeting certain benchmarks.

Language in the bill also streamlines the process for confirming General James Mattis as the Secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration. The bill expedites consideration of legislation providing an exception to the prohibition against appointing a Secretary of Defense who was on active duty within the last seven years. Mattis retired in 2013.

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