Booker introduces bill to force USDA to honor farmer contracts 

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, on Thursday introduced the Honor Farmer Contracts Act, legislation to force the Agriculture Department to stop withholding funding for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by USDA. Rep.  Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., will introduce companion legislation in the House.”

Farmers across the country have been in limbo ever since the USDA froze previously signed agreements and contracts, with many facing catastrophic consequences if these freezes continue,” Booker said in a news release.

“USDA’s refusal to pay what is owed to farmers and the organizations that support them is theft, plain and simple. It’s a critical time of year for farmers and ranchers. They should be doing what they love — feeding our communities, not worrying about unpaid contracts. This legislation will fix that by forcing USDA and the Trump administration to hold up their end of the deal.”

“Over the last two months, farmers, ranchers, and rural communities have been left in limbo — waiting for the USDA to honor its promises,” Vasquez said in Booker’s release. “The Honor Farmer Contracts Act is about restoring trust and keeping our word to the hardworking people who feed America.”The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey, Farm Aid Action, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Pennsylvania Farmers Union immediately endorsed the bill.

–The Hagstrom Report