Two Illinois Senators spearheading federal bill ensuring USDA farm contracts are paid

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A coalition of Senate Democrats, headed by two Illinois leaders, have proposed a new act in Congress which would require the USDA to honor its commitments with farmers, and to reimburse rural operators on signed agreements, according to those Congress men and women.

The bill is known as the Honor Farmer Contracts Act, and sponsors say a companion bill is coming shortly in the House.

According to the bill text itself, the action would “unfreeze funding” for USDA contracts, and actually prohibit the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service office from closing and pay all past-due amounts owed by USDA officers due on these contracts.

Further, the bill would also require Rural Development Service Center facilities to remain open unless provided with a written notice, and with “justification to Congress” no later than 60 days before the date the office is allegedly going to close.

Belleville’s Senator, Tammy Duckworth, is one of the main Democratic sponsors of the Bill, alongside Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry member Dick Durbin, also of Illinois.

The HFCA would focus on specific contracts that already exist. The release from Duckworth’s office claims that “President Trump’s USDA” has refused to reimbursements on signed contracts without any idea of when, if or how the farmers, rural businesses and other operations will be paid for the agreements.

Booker has gained attention this morning in headlines, after leading a 15-plus hour speech on the Senate floor questioning and criticizing the choices of the Trump istration – from cutting National Institutes of Health operations, cuts to USAID funding, Social Security, banning books from libraries – and concerns on how cuts like these are reducing American power and increasing Chinese influence on the world stage.

“The federal government signed a contractual agreement, and many participants have been left waiting for weeks and months without funding,” the release states. “This legislation would require USDA to pay all past due payments as quickly as possible.”

More information on the Bill itself is available here – and at publishing time, it had only been introduced.

The Act has a number of ers in the ag world, including the Fam Action Fund; Illinois Stewardship Alliance; Missouri Rural Crisis Center; the Wisconsin Farmers Union; Black Farmers and Ranchers groups in New Mexico and New York -- and a number of groups from Kansas: including the Kansas Rural Center; Kansas City Community Gardens and others.

“Senator Booker’s proposed legislation to unfreeze funding for promises made to the Family Farmers who feed the rest of us is timely and appropriate,” said Michael Kovach, President, Pennsylvania Farmers Union. “It is unfortunate that it has been necessitated by some well-intentioned, but ill-conceived actions that effectively broke these promises. As so few charged with feeding so many, American Farmers need more , not less.”

It’s not the only action that Duckworth has taken on farm economics. Earlier this year, Duckworth was one of the bipartisan leaders putting forward legislation that would allow a year-round nationwide sale of ethanol fuel (E-15) higher than 10%. She is also a founder and co-chair on the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel Caucus. This proposal has from Republican Senators Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Deb Fischer of Nebraska.

“Donald Trump — a failed businessman — is trying to skip out on paying our hardworking farmers what they are rightfully owed, jeopardizing critical contracts and local jobs that families across Illinois,” Duckworth said in a statement. “Trump might say he loves our farmers, but his actions speak louder than words. Our Honor Farmer Contracts Act would put a stop to this chaos and ensure every penny that is being illegally withheld by this istration is paid to our farmers as promised.”

The sponsors of the HFCA say that the bill would also stop USDA from cancelling agreements unless parties fail to meet the requirements of the contract.

“These contracts are a big part of job creation and business development for farmers, rural residents, downstate towns, and even urban agriculture,” said Senator Dick Durbin. “But Elon Musk and President Trump have decided these folks, like Trump’s former real estate subcontractors, who also waited for reimbursement for work performed, are just not worth it, and should go away. Meanwhile, China is pursuing major rural investments to improve the lives of their rural citizens, like rural housing, health care, water, and technology infrastructure.”

“The Honor Farmer Contracts Act would ensure that USDA does the right thing by ensuring the U.S government keeps its word and pays these individuals what they are owed,” Durbin said.

for this short bill includes many Democrats – including Senators Adam Schiff of California; Martin Heinrich of New Mexico; Tina Smith of Montana; Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Representative Gabe Vasquez, a House Democrat from New Mexico, s the legislation and is preparing to introduce a companion bill in the House.

“This bill will immediately unfreeze critical funding, ensure farmers are paid for their work, and reopen essential USDA offices that were shuttered without notice,” he said in a statement. “This legislation is standing up for rural America, protecting family farms, and strengthening our food system. Let’s do right by our farmers - because when they thrive, we all do.”

Avery Martinez covers water, ag & the environment for First Alert 4. He is also a Report for America Corps member, as well as a member of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. His coverage ranges from EPA s to corn farms and hunting concerns, and local water rates to rancher mental health.

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