“The proposal by House Republican appropriators to slash over $6.25 billion from Agriculture Committee funds is a direct assault on rural communities across America. Rural small businesses, economically distressed farmers, rural utilities, and electric cooperatives, as well as the farm bill process, all stand to lose big time if this reckless Republican plan moves forward.

“House Republicans say they want to cut spending, but this plan is not strategic or reasonable in scope—it simply takes money from programs already benefitting our rural constituents to mask the cuts our colleagues would otherwise be forced to show. And this at the same time that the Agriculture Committees are working on the new farm bill.

“They also tie the Secretary of Agriculture’s hands when it comes to addressing emergency situations. The last time they played this game, the only people who lost were our cotton farmers.

“This Republican bill will make our rural communities poorer by attacking programs critical to American agriculture and way of life.”

The cuts include:

• $500 million from the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
• $3.25 billion intended for rural electric cooperative funding.
• $2 billion in assistance to distressed borrowers through the Farm Service Agency.

The Republican bill also puts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at risk for nearly a million Americans struggling to put food on their tables. Taking food away from people in need does not encourage work. It only serves to make life harder for people raising children, people with disabilities, and low-wage workers who might lose a job or have unpredictable and inconsistent hours.

Additionally, the bill would severely limit the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture to assist farmers by curtailing his use of the Commodity Credit Corporation—taking away a tool from farmers.