Protecting Agriculture, the Backbone of Delaware's Economy

Floor Speech

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Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, last week, when the House was out of session and I was in the greatest State in the Union, Delaware, I met with a family farmer in Sussex County who continues to farm the same land that her family has farmed for more than a century. We discussed the fear and unpredictability that is plaguing farmers in Delaware and across the country right now, farmers who, since the New Deal, have been able to rely on the Federal Government as partners in their effort to produce the food that feeds our families, our neighbors, our Nation, and the world.

Agriculture is the backbone of Delaware's economy. From poultry farms to vegetable growers to grain producers, Delaware farmers feed families here at home and around the globe and contribute to an industry that supports thousands of jobs in Delaware.

Unfortunately, since taking office, the Trump administration has broken their promises to our families and breached the trust with our farmers.

In week one, this administration illegally froze funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, including vital resources that run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They have frozen programs that purchase products from Delaware farmers.

As I stand here today, the Federal Government is withholding nearly $10 million owed to Delaware farmers to improve their infrastructure and lower their energy bills.

At the heart of Delaware's agriculture industry are chickens. We have roughly 200 chickens per person in Delaware, and while Delaware doesn't have a ton of people, that is a lot of chickens.

The rising crisis of bird flu poses a massive risk to Delaware farmers. It is a real and present danger to our food supply and to the livelihoods of poultry farmers across my State and across the country.

Dangerously, this administration halted bird flu monitoring in nearly 50 countries and imposed a gag order on Federal health agencies, limiting vital communication and collaboration with farmers. If that weren't bad enough, the very people we rely on to protect our ag industry and combat the spread of bird flu have been fired from the USDA.

This chaos is only worsening the risk of disease spread and threatening a hallmark industry in Delaware.

All of this has resulted in higher costs for farmers and higher prices at grocery stores for Americans. Instead of lowering the cost of eggs, they are actively making them more expensive.

Anyone who knows a thing or two about agriculture and farming knows this: Farmers operate on thin margins. They depend on Federal partners to provide stability in a volatile market.

Right now, with a Federal funding freeze, that support is vanishing when they need it the most. How are farmers supposed to plan for the next season when the Federal Government is pulling the rug out from under them?

I don't care who you voted for in the last election. In fact, I made a commitment to serve all Delawareans--Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. My job, and the job of this great Chamber, is to serve and respect every American. That includes the farmers who feed our Nation.

I will stand here in opposition to any executive or legislative action that puts our farmers at risk because when we fail farmers, we fail all Americans.

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