Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 629.

Keeping food affordable starts with keeping farmers in business. As natural disasters become more frequent and more devastating, bipartisan, bicameral legislation like this is exactly what our agricultural producers need.

Hawaii is still recovering from the Kona low storms that tore through our islands this spring, leaving behind damage that communities and producers will be rebuilding from for years to come.

I have walked farms across our State and seen firsthand the waterlogged fields, crops buried in mud, and equipment totally destroyed beyond repair. Our farmers are resilient, but resilience alone cannot pay the bills after disaster strikes.

Hawaii is far from alone. This year, producers across the country have faced devastating freezes, severe winter storms, flooding, drought, and wildfire. These events are no longer isolated incidents. They are becoming the reality of farming in America.

For many producers, the challenge isn't simply recovering from the disaster. It is finding enough cash on hand to begin recovery in the first place.

Today, even after USDA approves assistance, farmers are often forced to pay costs up front and wait for reimbursement. For many family farms, that delay can mean the difference between recovery and closure. That is why this legislation matters.

Cash is king after a disaster, and flexibility is key. By extending advance payments, this bill helps ensure USDA programs can meet farmers and ranchers where they are and provide assistance when it makes the greatest difference, not months later, but when recovery work must begin.

If this authority had been available following the Kona low storms, eligible producers could have started rebuilding immediately instead of scrambling to find the resources needed to bridge the gap. They could have repaired damaged infrastructure, restored farmland, and returned fields to production sooner.

This is a practical, commonsense policy that recognizes a simple reality: When disaster strikes, recovery delayed is often recovery denied.

Passing legislation is only half the job. The disaster after the disaster would be enacting proactive policies like this while lacking the workforce needed to deliver them. USDA programs are only as effective as the workforce responsible for getting that help to farmers on the ground.

Since the start of this administration, the Farm Service Agency workforce has declined by more than 24 percent, while at least 158 county offices are operating without an FSA employee.

We cannot control Mother Nature. We cannot stop the next storm, drought, wildfire, or flood, but we can ensure USDA has the staffing capacity necessary to get assistance out the door quickly and efficiently when producers need it most.

Our farmers and ranchers are not asking for a handout. They are asking for a fighting chance to recover, rebuild, and continue producing the food, fuel, and fiber our country depends on.

Let's give USDA the tools they need to meet this big challenge.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 629. I thank my colleagues for their strong support of this bipartisan, bicameral legislation.

Before we vote, I want to reflect on why this matters. When the Kona low storms swept across Hawaii this spring, they left farms flooded, infrastructure damaged, and producers facing months of costly recovery. Many are still working to restore their operations today.

Even as that work continued, a 6.0 earthquake struck our island chain just last month, less than a month ago, damaging roads and water systems on Hawaii Island, our State's largest agricultural producer.

It is a reminder that disaster doesn't wait for recovery to finish before the next challenge arrives. Whether storms, drought, wildfire, or earthquakes, our producers are increasingly operating in a world where disruption is becoming the norm rather than the exception.

That is why S. 629 is so important. This bill recognizes that timing matters. For farmers and ranchers trying to get back on their feet, access to resources when recovery begins can make all the difference in how quickly they can restore production and keep their operations viable.

While the need is clear, success depends on more than good policy alone. Congress can provide USDA with the right tools, but those tools must be backed by the workforce needed to put them into action. Passing legislation without the capacity to implement helps no one.

We cannot prevent every disaster that comes our way, but we can make sure the Federal response is faster, more flexible, and better equipped to support the people who grow the food we depend on.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to strongly support S. 629, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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