South Texas Lawmakers Say Farm Bill Is Long Overdue

U.S. Reps. Monica De La Cruz and Henry Cuellar weigh in on Farm Bill progress and its importance to Texas farmers.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (RFD News) — The Farm Bill has made another move forward, but lawmakers from South Texas say getting a new bill across the finish line is long overdue.

Rep. Monica De La Cruz told RFD News that farmers in South Texas have continued to call for passage of the Farm Bill.

“When I was in South Texas over the last several weeks, my farmers kept saying the same thing, we must pass the Farm Bill. In the house we passed the Farm Bill, not once but several times.”

Rep. Henry Cuellar also pointed to the progress made in the Senate after the House passed its legislation in April.

“I certainly appreciate that progress has been made on the Farm Bill on the Senate side. We passed our legislation in the House back in April. Getting a Farm Bill done is long past due.”

De La Cruz said the House version includes several of her initiatives, including holding Mexico accountable for water owed under the 1944 Water Treaty and efforts to eradicate the cattle fever tick.

The current one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expires September 30.

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RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey covers news from Texas, in the US-Mexico border region. He has provided in-depth coverage of immigration, the 2021 Texas freeze, the arrival of the New World screwworm, and Mexico’s water debt owed under a 1944 treaty.

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