On U.S. Senate Floor, Sen. Heitkamp Urges President to Reconsider Budget Cuts that Hurt Rural Communities

WASHINGTON, June 7 -- The office of Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today took to the Senate floor with a group of colleagues from rural states to underscore how drastically the president's budget would harm rural communities in North Dakota and beyond.

Heitkamp also joined 28 fellow senators in urging the president to reconsider proposed budget cuts that would hurt families, communities, and businesses in North Dakota and across rural America--including $231 billion in proposed cuts to Farm Bill programs. In addition, the senators pushed the administration to protect the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) office responsible for promoting economic development in rural America. Click here to watch the speech on YouTube.

"North Dakota is only as strong as our rural communities and the farmers and ranchers who drive rural economies--but this budget would leave them out to dry," said Heitkamp. "When one in every four North Dakotans is a farmer, rancher, or works in a farm-related job, it's clear that slashing crop insurance and other vital programs would harm our entire state. These programs help our farmers and ranchers feed the world and keep rural America strong--and that's what I reinforced to the president, calling on him to support strong rural development policies and reject budget cuts that threaten our small towns and rural economies."

The president's budget calls for drastic, 21 percent USDA budget cuts that would undermine the department's important rural development mission. Those cuts come on the heels of recently announced plans to eliminate the Under Secretary for Rural Development--an important advocate for rural communities across the country.

The president's budget would hurt rural communities in a variety of ways:

Turning its back on farmers by slashing crop insurance: By limiting crop insurance eligibility and introducing a cap of $40,000 on crop insurance premium subsidies, the budget would undermine safety net programs and add uncertainty to an already volatile commodity market. Farmers and ranchers rely on crop and livestock insurance to help mitigate risk and survive unpredictable weather and low commodity prices. Crop insurance is one of many farm programs cut in the budget, which would take away $231 billion in funding from Farm Bill programs.

Doing away with investments that boost North Dakota economic development: The president's budget would remove investments in the Economic Development Administration which would disproportionately hurt rural America. These funds have bolstered North Dakota economic development with more than $34 million in direct investments since 2009.

Eliminating rural water projects: By eliminating USDA funding to protect water in rural areas--including grants and loans for new water towers, pipes, and sewage systems--the president's budget would impact millions of rural Americans. Since 2010, USDA Rural Development in North Dakota has financed over $111 million to improve water and wastewater systems in more than 40 cities, tribal reservations or water districts.

Last month, at a U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture hearing, Heitkamp pressed expert witnesses about how Congress and USDA can help North Dakota farmers and ranchers weather the challenging price environment--even as the administration proposes drastic cuts to USDA and crop insurance. Heitkamp also pressed witnesses about what more USDA and Congress can do to help new and beginning farmers.

After the administration released its detailed budget for the 2018 fiscal year, threatening critical federal funding for rural America, Heitkamp expressed serious concern about the proposed $231 billion in cuts to Farm Bill programs.

Heitkamp helped write, negotiate, and pass the 2014 Farm Bill and has worked to implement and protect the Farm Bill for producers across North Dakota. In August 2016, Heitkamp began laying the groundwork for a robust 2018 Farm Bill with a two-day tour across North Dakota, meeting with farmers, ranchers, researchers, and other agriculture leaders in the field to get their feedback ahead of the upcoming Farm Bill negotiations.