WASHINGTON- House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott delivered the following statement at today's markup of the Budget Views and Estimates Letter for Fiscal Year 2022:

[As prepared for delivery]

Good morning. Today, we are here to consider the Committee’s budget views and estimates for Fiscal Year 2022 as required by the Congressional Budget Act and in compliance with House Rules.

I was pleased to have worked with the Ranking Member in formulating the draft views and estimates letter that you have before you today.

Given the robust and complex challenges facing our agriculture sector, it is our firm view that no budget reductions are warranted within our jurisdiction. Additionally, targeted and timely investments will likely be necessary to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession and to address future challenges.

One year ago, our farmers and ranchers faced a hopefully once in a lifetime pandemic, which upended business as usual and created historic levels of hungry families and children across this country. Today, we are left with disrupted supply chains and turbulent agricultural markets, while far too many Americans still don’t know where their next meal will come from.

Congress must keep the promises made through the 2018 Farm Bill, the COVID provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act.

We must also continue to proactively assess and address the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the underlying access and equity issues that have made those impacts worse.

To that end, this Committee will continue our thorough oversight and monitor the authorities within our jurisdiction, including oversight of USDA’s implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill, as well as the ongoing activities of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Thank you, and I yield to Ranking Member Thompson for any remarks he would like to make.