WASHINGTON— Today, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted in favor of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, a bill that reauthorizes, modernizes, and improves key United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs through 2031, providing certainty to farmers and stakeholders.

“I regularly hear from farmers, ranchers, and producers in Idaho, and their main concern over the years has been when Congress will reauthorize the Farm Bill,” said Rep. Simpson. “Thanks to a Republican White House, Senate, and House, we have officially delivered on our promise to provide certainty to those who feed our nation. While this legislation supports and invests in our rural communities, it also strengthens our national security by protecting our domestic food supply. I look forward to President Trump signing this bill into law.”

Highlights of the Farm Bill include:

• Expands access to credit and risk management tools for producers who are facing some of the toughest times in the farm economy since the crisis of the 1980s.
• Is the most pro-specialty crop farm bill in history, prioritizing domestic production of healthy fruits and vegetables.
• Protects interstate commerce for livestock producers and provides regulatory certainty for farmers who need access to critical crop protection tools.
• Increases funding for further export market development, critical for Idaho commodities and producers.
• Modernizes rural development and energy programs, prioritizes cutting-edge research, expands access to meat processing, and codifies key initiatives related to national security and foreign ownership of farmland.

   The measure was approved with a vote of 224-200.