Durbin Meets With Illinois Farm Bureau

Durbin Meets With Illinois Farm Bureau

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today sat down with members of the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss the challenges in the farm economy, from low prices and high costs of equipment to fertilizer, the importance of updating farm loans to match current economic conditions, and the effects of Proposition 12. The group also discussed the critical role of foreign workers in keeping Illinois agriculture strong.

"I am concerned about the downturn in economic conditions for Illinois farmers, and how more and more farmers are looking for assistance," said Durbin. "We can start by ending these careless tariffs, passing a permanent E15 law, creating regional fairness in farm programs, and stopping the threats to our foreign farm workforce. I encouraged Farm Bureau members to speak out so that more downstate communities can appreciate the critical importance of immigrant labor to Illinois agriculture, who also help put reliable and affordable food on the table for every Illinois household."

Photos of the meeting are available here.

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