Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spoke with National Farmers Union members during their virtual legislative fly-in. She acknowledged the difficult times in farm country.
“We do know that COVID has compounded the long standing challenges in the farm economy while adding more uncertainty and more disruption,” she said. “Even with record federal payments, food prices are historically high with families paying more and farmers getting less.”
She outlined investments in the Democratic stimulus package:
“That is why Democrats invested $32.7 billion dollars in the HEROES Act on ag...$915 billion dollars for state and local governments,” she said.
Pelosi added that she will keep Congress in session until they reach a bipartisan agreement.
“We don’t want this to be partisan at all. We’ve had four bills on the COVID challenge, all of them overwhelmingly bipartisan,” she said. “They didn’t start out that way but they did end that way, because they knew... they had to come our way in order to meet the needs of the people.”
In the midst of a global pandemic, she reaffirms her support for rural hospitals. According to Pelosi, “If you don’t have a hospital in your region, how do expect to attract people, and towns, and business and the rest if there is not a way for children to be educated or healthcare to be provided, and so rural health is a big issue in our caucus.”
The speaker is also planning to call for a vote next week on Collin Peterson’s (D-MN)'s Renewable Fuels Integrity Act, which would create a deadline for small refinery waivers and public notification of any waiver granted.