July 14, 2017

Duckworth Promotes Agricultural Investments During Meeting with Illinois Soybean Association

 


[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with leaders of the Illinois Soybean Association this week to discuss her goals for investing in agriculture and rural America, as well as the need for protecting crop insurance assistance and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Duckworth also focused on the negative impact President Trump's proposed budget cuts to rural development and agricultural programs would have on farmers. A photo of the meeting is available here.

"Every day, families across Illinois rely on the products that our hardworking soybean farmers produce," Duckworth said. "That's why I'm advocating for a budget that invests more - not less - in agricultural and rural development programs that have a direct impact on our farmers and our economy."

President Trump's budget makes over $231 billion in cuts to critical USDA and Farm Bill programs, which Americans in rural communities rely on to improve access to clean drinking water, promote public safety and support their children. It would also close the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) that supports more than 200 jobs in Peoria, eliminate the Rural Economic Development Program that helps rural businesses create jobs, reduce SNAP assistance for working families by more than 25 percent and make crop insurance more expensive for Illinois farmers.

Duckworth recently expressed her concerns regarding the President's proposed budget cuts during her visit to NCAUR, where she highlighted the significant harm that its closure would cause the local and state economies. Duckworth's visit to NCAUR came just weeks after she visited the Illinois State University Farm in Lexington to meet with local farmers.