This week, members of the Florida delegation in the U.S. House unveiled the “Restore Agricultural Investment, Stability and Expansion (RAISE) Act.”
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., introduced the bill with U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., Scott Franklin, R-Fla., and Darren Soto, D-Fla., co-sponsoring it.
The bill “would provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with the standing authority to help American farmers and growers recover after natural disasters by issuing block grants,” and Wasserman Schultz’s office insisted the proposal “better positions this farm-friendly measure to reach President Joe Biden’s desk and become law through the upcoming Farm Bill that Congress is expected to consider.”
Backers of the bill weighed in on it at the end of last week.
“Congress needs to have the back of America’s farmers, and I’m proud to work across the aisle to make sure the crops and agricultural resources that fuel this great nation and its families are protected from increasingly extreme weather threats, something our own citrus industry faces in Florida,” said Wasserman Schultz. “From timber to food on our table tops, the federal government needs every tool at hand to help farmers recover from natural disasters.”
“After extreme hurricane seasons like the one Florida experienced last year, growers cannot afford to navigate bureaucratic obstacles to get the help they need,” said Franklin. “I’m pleased that earlier this month the House unanimously passed our bill to give the USDA block grant authority to expedite disaster relief for agricultural producers still recovering from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. This commonsense initiative would make this authority permanent ensuring the federal government can respond as quickly as possible to future emergencies.”
“Glad to join Reps. Franklin, Wasserman Schultz, and Soto on this effort to support our Florida producers,” said Cammack. “When extreme weather threatens our crops, as is often the case in the Sunshine State, we must be prepared to help our farmers recover and continue the important work of feeding our nation.”
“In Central Florida, our farmers, ranchers, and growers have struggled after devastating hurricanes,” said Soto. “As these natural disasters get stronger, we must work to ensure that they have the resources to recover, maintain their livelihoods, and keep feeding America.”
The bill’s backers insisted the proposal would help the Sunshine State.
“More than 90 percent of all Florida citrus production was impacted by hurricanes in 2022, totaling 375,302 acres. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services expects these devastating losses to cost the industry as much as $675 million. Florida citrus generates $6.8 billion in annual revenue and supports 33,000 jobs,” Wasserman Schultz’s office noted. “In 2018, Congress gave USDA the authority to issue block grants to states to assist with recovery efforts after Hurricane Irma. In conjunction with the Farm Service Agency, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant (CRBG) Program was created to support citrus growers impacted by Hurricane Irma. The CRBG program was widely successful in helping spur recovery for the Florida citrus industry.”
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee on Monday. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. Senate.
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