MOUNT VERNON — A significant piece of the federal farm bill for Skagit County agriculture is the increased and permanent funding for specialty crop research and grant programs.
The bill is the first to provide long-term investments for the programs and raises funding 50 percent over levels offered in the last farm legislation, providing $80 million per year to the Specialty Crop… Read more »
The US Senate today passed a five-year Farm Bill by a vote of 68-32. The bill includes a number of reforms that will reduce the deficit by over $16 billion, with much of the savings coming from reforms to agricultural subsidies, such as the elimination of direct payments. It also includes two initiatives led by Congresswoman Suzan DelBene: 1) An Employment & Training (E&T) pilot… Read more »
The mosaic of interests, the political horse-trading, the willingness to hold hostage the food stamp program: The farm bill defines lawmaking down. In the age of gridlock, incremental changes are cast as victories.
The deficit will be reduced by more than $16 billion, largely by rejiggering agriculture subsidies, including elimination of direct payments to farmers for not growing crops.… Read more »
The mammoth farm bill passed by the U.S. House last week contains a provision written by Rep. Suzan DelBene, of Medina, to replicate a Washington state program to train food-stamp recipients for jobs with taxpayer money.
To read the full story, click HERE.
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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene calls the farm bill passed by the U.S. House a ‘big win’ for Washington’s specialty crop farmers. She says the bill gives unprecedented levels of funding for the specialty crop industry, including Whatcom County fruit and vegetable farmers.
$800 million for specialty crop research.
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the farm bill next… Read more »
Today a majority of the members on the joint House-Senate Conference Committee to negotiate the Farm Bill approved a conference report on a final five-year Farm Bill. The compromise agreement includes a number of reforms that will reduce the deficit by over $20 billion, with the majority of savings coming from reforms to agricultural subsidies, such as the elimination of direct… Read more »
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) sits down with KING 5's Mark Wright last week to talk about the NSA's broad spying program. DelBene said the NSA should be reigned in and only look at specific phone data.
She also talks about proposed cuts the SNAP food stamp program and even gave her predictions for Sunday's Super Bowl.
To watch the entire interview, click HERE.
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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene announced that the Northwest Agriculture Business Center in Mount Vernon will receive $200,000 from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support local farmers and agriculture related businesses.
Awarded through the USDA’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant program, the funds will go to help the Northwest Agriculture Business Center’s work in… Read more »
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene gave the following remarks during the Farm Bill Conference Committee’s first meeting today. The bipartisan, bicameral committee will focus on resolving the differences between the House and Senate-passed Farm Bills over the next few months. The 2008 Farm Bill extension expired September 30.
The full text of DelBene’s speech, as prepared for… Read more »
Ninety-five percent of the world’s mouths to feed live outside the United States, and 160,000 people in Washington are gainfully employed in feeding them, yet the state’s $40 billion agricultural export trade is threatened by Congress’ prolonged failure to write a new farm bill.
The farm bill stalemate is another Tea Party-caused breakdown of business in Washington,… Read more »
