President Trump Signs 2018 Farm Bill into LawU.S. Congressman Rick W. Allen (R-Ga-12) issued the following statement today after attending the White House signing ceremony for the 2018 Farm Bill. Congressman Allen played an integral role in drafting this legislation as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, as well as working closely with members of the House and Senate to finalize the Conference Report after being selected as a member of the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Last week, the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate both passed the Conference Report to H.R. 2, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, clearing the way for President Trump’s signature. “Today is an exciting day for our farmers, ranchers, and consumers in Georgia’s 12 district, in the state of Georgia as a whole, and throughout the nation,” said Congressman Allen. “This five-year farm bill has been a work in progress since I was elected to Congress in 2014, and after several years of negotiations, hearings, and a number of district-wide farm tours aimed at gathering input from those who are directly affected by this legislation, I can confidently say that we have delivered a new sense of certainty for rural America. “As law of the land, the 2018 Farm Bill will strengthen the farm safety net, provide more flexibility for our producers, protect and expand crop insurance, improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – including program integrity, strengthen our efforts to provide quality broadband in rural areas, and much more. I’d like to thank President Trump for his continued commitment to rural America throughout this process and for signing this farm bill into law today.” Congressman Allen also said the following in response to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue’s announcement today to change the waiver rule for able-bodied adults without dependents currently on SNAP. “I applaud Secretary Perdue and the Trump Administration for taking meaningful action to assist Americans currently receiving SNAP benefits in securing gainful employment, while also protecting our most vulnerable communities. With over seven million available jobs throughout the country, we must ensure that we provide able-bodied adults without dependents a pathway out of poverty to prosperity. The 2018 Farm Bill allowed the Administration more flexibility in SNAP policy, and I hope to see this new rule come to fruition in the near future so that we may get America back to work.” ### |
