WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Angie Craig released the following statement in response to the Republican proposal to bankroll tax cuts for the wealthy by cutting funding for farm bill nutrition, conservation, and rural energy programs.

"We are happy to work with Republicans on a bipartisan basis when it's on behalf of the American people and family farmers. But instead of increasing investments in our rural communities and supporting the next generation of family farmers, Republicans are starting the new year by workshopping a plan to take money from America’s farmers in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. 

“They plan to cut the SNAP program, which not only means taking food from hungry children, but also less demand for the food our farmers produce, manufacturers package, truckers haul and grocery store clerks stock on the shelves.

“They plan to take Inflation Reduction Act funding out of the farm bill’s conservation programs, which would mean rejecting more farmers and ranchers from EQIP and hurting their bottom lines.

“They plan to take the Inflation Reduction Act’s rural energy funding, which would be a gift to utility conglomerates and make it harder for smaller rural electrical cooperatives to compete and raise energy costs for American families.

“Make no mistake — moving forward with this plan will take money from farmers to pay for tax breaks for the already super rich."