Farm groups praise bipartisan infrastructure bill, call for House passage

More farm groups have praised the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that passed the Senate on Tuesday and called on the House to pass it.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said, “AFBF appreciates the Senate for working together in a bipartisan manner to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The pressing infrastructure issues facing our nation are too important to ignore, particularly in rural communities where modernization is desperately needed.

“Farmers and ranchers depend on millions of miles of roadways and waterways to get their products to America’s dinner tables, and they rely on ports to ship food, fiber and fuel to countries around the world. Improvements in transportation infrastructure, as well as repair and upgrades to the aging Western water infrastructure, will ensure farmers can continue to keep this nation fed.

“Extending digital access to rural America is just as important as paved roads and solid bridges. Increased funding to bring broadband to hundreds of thousands of farms that currently have no access to the Internet will help farmers meet the demands of a growing world while using emerging technologies to build on climate-smart practices.”

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew said, “Our dilapidated roads, weak Internet connections, inadequate cybersecurity, poor drinking water, and outdated inland waterway system’s ports and dams are undermining residents’ physical safety and financial wellbeing, risks that will only grow with climate-related pressures.

“We can’t waste any more time – the House must take up this legislation as soon as possible to build stronger, safer, and more sustainable infrastructure.”

Allison Rivera, executive director of government affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said, “We are pleased to see the Senate has passed an infrastructure package that will benefit American cattle producers. Investments in infrastructure are critical to ensure that those in rural America, including farmers and ranchers, have the necessary resources to operate the businesses that serve as the backbone of rural economies. We see this legislation as a step in the right direction and will continue working with members of Congress to ensure that the needs of cattle and beef producers are included in a final infrastructure bill.”

Heidi Heitkamp, co-founder of the One Country Project and a former Democratic senator from North Dakota, said, “This legislation does an incredible amount to address the problems rural Americans are facing today, and it invests in the rural communities and economy of the 21st century and beyond. Delivering on this legislation will mean a rural America that is building back better, and it delivers on a promise to build a future for our country that supports the American dream for every person working to succeed in the United States. I encourage the House of Representatives to pass this legislation and send it to President Biden to sign into law.”

USA Rice Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely said, “USA Rice appreciates the bipartisan efforts of the Senate to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These historic investments will provide much needed improvements throughout rural America that will greatly benefit the U.S. rice industry.”

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture sent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a letter urging her to take up the bill when the House returns from its recess.

–The Hagstrom Report