[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 23, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                FARM BILL LISTENING TOUR ACROSS NEW YORK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New York (Ms. Tenney) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I recently traveled across New York's 
beautiful and sprawling 24th District as part of my official 2023 farm 
bill listening tour. Our district is among the largest agricultural and 
dairy districts in the northeast and the largest apple growing district 
outside of Washington State.
  I hosted several open-door roundtables in every part of the district 
to hear directly from farmers and producers about their concerns for 
our region's agricultural community. Ahead of our consideration of the 
farm bill later this year, feedback from farmers and producers is 
vitally important.
  The farm bill reauthorization is always critical for communities like 
mine, but this year it is more important than ever. Our farmers are 
struggling, and they need advocates in Congress who will stand with 
them. In New York this is especially true, as a raft of new State laws 
and regulations from Albany are imposing unprecedented and costly 
burdens on rural communities.
  Our farmers are counting on Congress to get this year's farm bill 
done and get it done right.
  First of all, based on what I gleaned from my listening sessions, the 
following requests have been voiced:
  Do not make any cuts to the farm bill programs that are pivotal to 
the vitality of the northeast agricultural community;
  Next, reform the national crop insurance program to cover a wider 
range of items and better fit the needs of specialty crop farmers, 
including maple syrup, which is unique to the Northeast;
  Support funding for the specialty crop block grant program as well as 
research and monitoring of invasive species that we have been 
experiencing in New York; and
  Raise the 5-million-pound dairy margin tier 1 limit to reflect the 
consolidation that has occurred in the industry.
  On a personal note, I plead and I beg of the farm bill appropriators 
and drafters, please don't ban chocolate milk in schools. It was a 
lifeline for me and my family. Even the one and only Elon Musk has 
recognized the value in chocolate milk.
  Mr. Speaker, these were the requests that were echoed by farmers 
across the 24th District, and they are the priorities I am fighting for 
in Congress. I thank Chairman G.T. Thompson for his continued 
leadership as chair of the House Agriculture Committee and look forward 
to working with him in advancing these priorities.
  I will continue to advocate for solutions that support our 
agricultural producers in New York and across the country. Members of 
this body must realize, without productive farmers, we have no food and 
we will not achieve prosperity. We must put aside partisan politics and 
come together to make this year's farm bill a path to growth in all of 
our agricultural economies.

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