Rep. Andrea Salinas’ Statement on Her Vote Against the Republican Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) released the following statement on her vote against the Republicans' Farm Bill.

"This Farm Bill falls short of what Oregon farmers and families deserve. It does not do enough for specialty crop growers, fails to address the problems caused by Trump's tariffs, and does not undo Republicans' devastating cuts to SNAP, which only make the affordability crisis worse. This bill includes too many serious flaws for me to support it.

"Across the country, farm bankruptcies are up 46 percent. Oregon wine exports to Canada dropped more than 80 percent in a single year. And nearly 100,000 people in my district who rely on SNAP to put food on the table are at risk of losing their benefits. This bill does nothing to fix any of these problems.

"I fought to include amendments that will make a real difference for Oregonians, but Republicans refused to consider any of them. My amendments would have removed the statutory cap on Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, giving specialty crop producers the insurance coverage they need as their farms grow and as natural disasters become more frequent and severe. My Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act amendment would have helped rural communities access federal dollars for childcare, housing, and job training. My Timber Innovation for Building Rural Communities Act amendment would have expanded programs supporting mass timber and rural infrastructure. My Rural Health Care Facilities Revitalization Act amendment would have brought critical investment to rural hospitals and health clinics. And my amendment with Rep. Panetta, the Farmers Feeding America Act, would have strengthened food bank access to fresh, locally grown produce. None of these made it into the final bill.

"For generations, the Farm Bill worked because it was an agreement: farm programs and food assistance remained together in one bill. Republicans broke that deal. They stripped-out nutrition from the Farm Bill and gutted it through their 'Big, Ugly Bill.' They destroyed the Farm Bill coalition and put every future farm bill at risk.

"Instead of strengthening this partnership, Republicans chose to double down on harmful policies. They reinstated the discredited '10 a.m.' wildfire suppression policy that puts firefighters at risk and ignores decades of forest science. It requires that every fire should be suppressed by 10 a.m. the day following its initial report. They gutted SNAP, putting nearly 800,000 Oregonians at risk of losing food assistance-including one in four children and one in eight seniors-at a time when grocery prices are still rising. And once again, they short shrifted specialty crop growers-the backbone of Oregon agriculture.

"Oregon's farmers, families, and rural communities needed a Farm Bill that lowers costs, supports all producers, and strengthens food security. This one falls short. I will keep fighting for the investments and policies they deserve."

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