McClellan Statement on Republican Farm Bill

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement on H.R. 7567, an omnibus, multiyear farm bill led by House Republicans that governs an array of agricultural and food programs:

"As the number one private industry in the Commonwealth, Virginia boasts a flourishing agricultural sector. We rely heavily on our farms, 90% of which are family-owned, to keep families fed and ensure our local economies and communities thrive. Since coming to Congress, I've met with farmers all across my district to hear their concerns for the future, where they've expressed anxiety over their finances, upended by rising costs and an economic crisis caused by the Trump Administration's senseless tariff war.

"As the backbone of our economy, our farmers deserve action from Congress that doesn't take them for granted. Yet this latest Farm Bill spearheaded by House Republicans does little to address this uncertainty. As family farmers struggle to recover from the $54 billion in losses they've suffered under this Administration, this bill does not provide any additional farm assistance to help them offset the damage done from tariffs, rising input costs and low commodity prices. It does not provide any additional funding for programs serving new or underserved farmers or rural small businesses, and it ignores the request from specialty crop farmers for $5 billion in economic relief.

"This bill also undermines public health by cutting funding for conservation and protecting the devastating $187 billion in cuts to SNAP and other nutrition programs made in the Big Ugly Law - condemning families and children to go hungry. For these reasons, I voted against this Farm Bill until we put forth a bill that addresses these persistent issues.

"Our farmers face a series of new challenges with the climate crisis and rising costs, in an industry that already operates on tight margins. Until Republicans stop playing partisan games and work with Democrats to develop a bill that gives our farmers the resources and opportunities they asked for, I will continue to stand against House Republicans' misplaced priorities."