The race in Minnesota’s second congressional district took a twist when a third part candidate suddenly died. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an emergency appeal to delay the race, so it will go on next Tuesday. Incumbent Angie Craig shares her plans for rural American in this “Raise the Rural Vote” segment.
Minnesota Democrat Angie Craig is a member of the House Ag Committee and co-founder of the Supply Chain Caucus. She says that it was an issue she was working on before COVID-19 caused packing plant closures and price swings for livestock producers.
“I think it’s something that we have to address and that’s why I’ve been a strong supporter of local processors and local plants, to make sure that we’re helping them meet USDA standards to sell across state lines, that we’re making sure that we’ve got the personal protective equipment so that we can keep our food supply chains up and running,” Craig states. “I represent this beautiful river communities in Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district and that food supply chain has got to stay strong.”
Implementing the current Farm Bill is another priority for her, as well as looking ahead to what should be in the 2023 legislation.
According to Craig, “That’s protecting the farm safety net, number one. It’s creating more opportunities for those direct-to-consumer marketing of farm goods, evaluating the needs in farm country in the wake of COVID-19. As I’ve said, I’ve been a strong supporter of MFP payments to farmers, a strong supporter of CFAP... we’re going to need to keep a close eye on that, and I’ve been a big supporter of biofuels and making sure that we’re living up to our commitments, especially up to the Renewable Fuels Standard.”
Congresswoman Craig says that she wants to see more multilateral trade deals, especially in the Asian market, to create more opportunities for farmers.
“I’m a pro-trade Democrat,” she states. “I’m going to be looking for those export opportunities and money in the Farm Bill to build those markets, because at the end of the day my family farmers, they just want a fair price and they want open markets, and that’s what, I think, we should be working across the aisle to give folks.”
She says that people can live anywhere if they have access to broadband, healthcare, and good schools. That is why she is working to invest in rejuvenating rural communities.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to reduce the disparities of broadband across this country, and that means investing in rural America. We also have to make sure that highway safety is an important concern and invest in infrastructure in our rural communities too. It’s a great way to create local jobs and support [the] local way of life,” she explains.
In addition to agriculture, Congresswoman Craig also serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
For the full interview click HERE.
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