Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) voted in support of the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Report, which extends and improves Farm Bill provisions.
The 2018 Farm Bill:
- Preserves the U.S. sugar program – maintains the existing U.S. sugar policy, which operates at zero-cost to taxpayers and provides critical support to Louisiana sugarcane farmers and millers.
- Expands trade opportunities – helps combat the predatory trading practices of foreign countries, while providing additional funding to help grow export markets for American agricultural products.
- Protects crop insurance – preserves the existing crop insurance program with small improvements.
- Prioritizes rural development – authorizes annual appropriations to expand broadband access in rural communities and prioritizes funding to help combat opioid addiction.
- Enhances ag research programs – provides additional funding for research, extension, and education projects that keep American agriculture at the forefront of innovation and productivity.
Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:
“While it’s not perfect, this Farm Bill provides Louisiana farmers with much-needed certainty about critical agriculture programs. We delivered wins for both rice and sugar, maintained the policies that support Louisiana farmers, and we’re creating new opportunities for American farmers to compete on a global scale. I support agriculture and our farmers. Thus, I supported this bill. This was something that we had to get done in the 115th Congress. Turning the Farm Bill over to Speaker Pelosi and a Democrat majority on January 3rd would have been a disaster.”
