Agriculture & Rural Development Archives - Congresswoman Cheri Bustos

Fighting For Illinois’ Agricultural Economy

As a member of Congress from a rural district who comes from a long line of family farmers, I know how important our growers and producers are to our local economy. In western and central Illinois, we have some of the richest farmland in the nation, and agriculture is the top economic driver.

That’s why as a member of the House Agriculture Committee I’ve made growing our agricultural economy a priority.

When I was a new member of Congress, I was proud to work across party lines to pass the first long-term Farm Bill in years. This bipartisan legislation provided a stable and strong crop insurance program while maintaining funding for programs that feed hungry children and families across Illinois.

Then, in 2018, I fought to pass another bipartisan Farm Bill that included several key pieces of legislation I authored, including:

The Farmers of Tomorrow Act, which makes it easier for young farmers to buy land and put roots down in agriculture;
The Rural Health Liaison Act, which created a new position at the USDA that focuses on improving the delivery of health care to rural America; and
The Addiction Recovery for Rural Communities Act, which helps rural Americans better leverage USDA programs to combat opioid and heroin abuse.

But to keep our agricultural economy growing, we need to help our farmers export their products to new markets. That’s why I traveled to Cuba with the Illinois-Cuba Working Group and the Illinois Farm Bureau to help our farmers develop the right relationships so they can export more of our agricultural products.

It’s also crucial that our growers and producers have a seat at the table when negotiating new agreements with our trading partners. In August 2019, I set up a meeting at the Illinois State Fair between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Illinois Farm Bureau to discuss agricultural priorities for the renegotiation of NAFTA—which later became known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

I later cast my vote in favor of a strong USMCA, securing export markets for the agriculture sector with some of our most reliable trading partners and establishing a robust framework for future trade deals.

Additionally, over the past few years, we’ve seen the Trump Administration partner with Big Oil to dismantle the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)—a move that has been devastating to our corn growers and biofuels producers alike. I’ve been working to restore the integrity of the RFS and to ensure that our growers and producers have the support they need to keep our agricultural sector strong and continue investing in the production of cleaner-burning fuels.

While we still have a lot of work to do to ensure a brighter future for our 21st century agricultural heartland, here are several recent examples of the work I’m doing.

More on Agriculture & Rural Development

Press Release

December 1, 2022

Bustos Applauds EPA Biofuel Blending Announcement

America’s farmers to see boost in business: 2023-2025 Renewable Volume Obligations grant increases for every category of renewable fuels WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) released the following statement on the 2023, 2024, 2025 renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “Today, President Biden came through for our family farmers, […]

Press Release

August 22, 2022

Bustos, Kaptur Hold Farm Bill Listening Session in Ohio

FREMONT, OH — Today, U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos and Marcy Kaptur joined the House Agriculture Committee in holding a Farm Bill listening session at Terra State Community College in Fremont, Ohio. The session was the third in a series entitled, “A 2022 Review of the Farm Bill: Perspectives from the Field,” aimed at providing the House Agriculture Committee and its […]

Press Release

July 1, 2022

Bustos Secures Support for Rural Communities, Local Priorities in Appropriations Packages

WASHINGTON — This week, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, helped advance out of committee a series of packages that address water quality in Lewistown and other rural communities, would help lower gas prices and increase access to education. The packages now head to the House Floor for a full vote. “I’ve […]

Press Release

June 27, 2022

ICYMI: Bustos Holds Farm Bill Listening Session in Arizona

COOLIDGE — Over the weekend, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Chair of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, held a Farm Bill listening session in Coolidge, Arizona with Ranking Member Austin Scott (R-GA) and Congressman Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ). The visit was the first in a series of listening sessions entitled “A 2022 Review of […]