Farmers, Ranchers, Foresters, and Consumers Deserve Certainty

Floor Speech

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Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Thompson very much for hosting tonight's Special Order hour focused on the most consequential piece of legislation for rural America, the farm bill. I thank him for his work to make sure that we have an adequate farm bill and all the travel and the effort that he has put into this at this point.

In western New York and the Southern Tier, agriculture not only drives our economy, but it is also a way of life and a proud tradition for many families, who I am proud to represent. I am proud to fight for the more than 6,000 farms in my district as we develop each piece of this legislation, especially as they struggle with the high input costs and shrinking margins created by President Biden's reckless economic policies. More specifically, the dairy farms in my district need better policy solutions that offer them a stronger safety net and more predictable pricing.

As outlined in the bill that I introduced earlier in this Congress, H.R. 1756, the Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act, we need to ensure this next farm bill authorizes reporting of cost and yield information from dairy processors.

It also has been great to see the recent recognition of the role our farmers, ranchers, and dairies play in our Nation's nutrition and health.

This next farm bill should also aim to increase access to dairy products for SNAP recipients as outlined in the Dairy Nutrition Incentives Act, which I am co-leading with my colleague, Representative

Jim Costa. It is important that we empower and encourage households to consume healthy but underconsumed foods, such as milk and other nutrient-rich dairy products.

Western New York and the Southern Tier have a proud history of dairy farming, and I want to ensure that dairy remains a core component of our efforts, as 90 percent of Americans fall short of meeting the recommended intake of dairy.

Similarly, I have been leading the effort to expand access to New York maple products with my bipartisan MAPLE Act, as I am proud to represent hundreds of maple farms and even had a chance to visit many of them last month during New York's Maple Week. It is a great product, and the legislation would add maple syrup to the eligible products under the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

The farm bill doesn't stop at dairy production or specialty products. It also focuses on developing our rural communities that are so often forgotten here in Washington. Title VI of the farm bill authorizes programs that are meant to foster economic growth in our rural communities, like the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy, or RISE, grant program.

This program has been instrumental in offering grant assistance to foster high-wage job creation and accelerate the formation of new businesses in qualifying low-income rural areas. While the RISE program has garnered success and popularity, it is important to recognize that job accelerators typically provide specialized training for individuals seeking new skills to secure employment for new businesses.

The explosion of cutting-edge technologies has presented rural areas with challenges in adaptation, resulting in a widening workforce gap and diminishing economic prospects. These challenges compound existing workforce issues in rural America, including limited access to education and workforce development opportunities and mismatches between available jobs and the skills of our local workers.

In response to this need, we have introduced H.R. 7015, the CAREERS Act, to build upon the RISE grant program by allowing funds to support career pathway programs and industry or sector partnerships in specific industries, including public utilities, healthcare, manufacturing, agribusiness, and others.

Opening this program to industry partnerships would create more collaboration between employers, educators, and stakeholders to address workforce challenges and develop tailored training programs, ensuring a skilled workforce that meets industry needs.

The CAREERS Act champions skills development, innovation, and collaboration, empowering rural communities to thrive. We need to ensure that title VI of the farm bill will do more to close the skills gap and support our rural communities.

In all, I am proud to be a voice for rural upstate New York, western New York, and the Southern Tier throughout the process of developing a final bill that not only supports American agriculture but builds a better future for everyone.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Thompson for all of his efforts.

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