Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Honor Farmer Contracts Act

Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said today they have joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would release funding illegally withheld by the Trump administration for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“The unlawful freezing of federal funding has inflicted chaos on nearly every part of our lives, and this funding can make the difference between whether farms in Oregon and nationwide can stay in business or not,”Wyden said.“Agriculture plays a huge part in Oregon’s economy, and it’s absolutely essential for the federal government to fulfill its end of the deal with farmers' promised reimbursement. TheHonor Farmer Contracts Actwould reverse the Trump administration’s reckless actions and ensure farmers can trust that the federal government won’t stiff them.”
"The USDA’s failure to honor its commitments is hurting farmers and rural communities in Oregon and across the country,"said Merkley."TheHonor Farmer Contracts Actis about restoring trust and ensuring farmers get the Congressionally authorized funding they were promised. The Trump Administration’s illegal federal funding cuts violate contracts, jeopardize livelihoods, and weaken our food system. It’s time to restore critical funding and support the farmers who feed our communities."
Trump’s Agriculture Department has refused to make reimbursement payments to fulfill signed contracts, without any indication of when or whether farmers will be paid the money they laid out and are owed. Farmers and the organizations that serve them operate on tight margins and cannot be left waiting for weeks and months without funding they rightfully planned for and need to keep operating. Similarly, farmer-serving organizations—which farmers rely upon to connect to local markets and implement practices that make them more productive and less resource intensive—are facing imminent funding crises from not being reimbursed for completed or in-progress contracted work. This legislation would require the USDA to pay farmers all past due payments as quickly as possible to prevent them from having to shut down their operations.
TheHonor Farmer Contracts Actwould:
TheHonor Farmer Contactswas led by U.S Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Angus King, I-Maine, Tina Smith, D-Minn., Ed J. Markey, D-Mass., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., will introduce companion legislation in the House.
The full text of the bill ishere.
To see the full list of organizations endorsing theHonor Farmer Contracts Act, clickhere.