09.26.19

Hoeven Worked to Ensure Funding Extension Includes Ag Trade Assistance

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate passed legislation to extend government funding that includes a provision he worked to secure to fund Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments for farmers and ranchers targeted by retaliatory tariffs. The legislation extends government funding through November 21 as Congress works to pass the full appropriations bills. 

After House leaders threatened to block funding in the extension for the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), Hoeven led Republican members of the Senate Appropriations Committee in pressing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey to replenish the CCC and ensure that MFP payments are not blocked or delayed. The full text of the letter is here. 

“We worked hard to ensure that the House did not block or delay vital trade assistance for our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” said Hoeven. “The agreement makes sure that we can continue to fund trade assistance for our producers, which is very important given the challenges our farmers and ranchers face until we get more trade agreements in place.” 

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