Merkley: White House Ag Budget Proposal “Heartless”

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue testified Tuesday morning before the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.  The hearing was scheduled to the hearing to review the President’s Fiscal Year 2018 funding request and budget justification for the Department of Agriculture.  Ranking Member Jeff Merkley called the Trump administration’s budget proposal for agriculture “short sighted and heartless”.

“Net spending for agriculture and rural development is cut by about $5 billion, or 26%.  More than 20 research programs are eliminated and the rest are cut at a time when we desperately need innovation in agriculture.  The Farm Service Agency would lose almost 1,000 employees that help producers across America access USDA’s Farm Loan programs.”

Merkley added the budget proposal would hurt conservation efforts, which are required for farmers to participate in several USDA programs, including crop insurance.  The White House budget proposal calls for capping crop insurance premium subsidies at $40,000 a year, which would cut the premium subsidy for about 33,000 farmers, according to USDA.

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