Ricketts Comments on Farm Bill Framework

June 11, 2024

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) issued the following statement in support of the Farm Bill framework released by Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR):

“This Farm Bill framework ensures Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers have the tools they need to navigate current and future challenges,” Ricketts said. “I’m glad it includes my bill to help workers on SNAP get off welfare and into the workforce. It also includes my bills on improving flood protection,improving infrastructure resiliency, and enhancing assistance to rural microentrepreneurs. It includes critical Nebraska priorities like improving crop insurance, strengthening trade promotion programs, and expanding voluntary, working lands-based conservation programs. It supports agriculture research at land grant institutions like the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and workforce training at our community colleges.”

“I’m thankful to Ranking Member Boozman for incorporating so much of what Senator Fischer and I shared with him during his visit to Nebraska last year,” Ricketts continued. “I hope my Democratic colleagues will join us in supporting this framework.”

Boozman joined Senators Ricketts and Deb Fischer (R-NE) in Nebraska last year to learn more about the needs of Nebraska farmers and ranchers. You can watch video of that visit here.

BACKGROUND:

The Farm Bill framework includes many legislative efforts supported by Ricketts. The bill:

Includes the bipartisan SNAP Next Step Act, authored by Ricketts and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), to help workers on SNAP get off government assistance and into the workforce.
Includes the bipartisan Flood Protection and Infrastructure Resilience Act, authored by Ricketts and Gillibrand, to help communities not just recover from disasters but reduce future damage as well.
Includes the bipartisan Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Act, authored by Ricketts and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), to extend and enhance a program making low-interest loans and grants available to rural microentrepreneurs.
Doubles research funding and provides significant, mandatory funding to improve agricultural research facilities at land-grant institutions, colleges of agriculture, and beneficiaries of U.S. agricultural research.
Includes the Ricketts-supported “Expanding Agricultural Exports Act,” which doubles funding for USDA’s premier trade promotion programs, the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD).
Includes the Ricketts-supported “Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act,” which strengthens the BioPreferred Program.
Includes the Ricketts-supported “TSP Access Act,” which streamlines the Technical Service Providers (TSP) process to make conservation assistance more accessible to producers.
Includes the Ricketts-supported “Farm to Fly Act,” which allows for greater production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
Includes the Ricketts-supported “Beagle Brigade Act,” which permanently authorizes the USDA Training Center for the Beagle Brigade, which trains dogs to detect foreign pests and diseases and protect our food supply.