{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/23/higgins-works-with-louisiana-farm-bureau-to-modernize-usda-program/", "Higgins\u00a0Works with Louisiana Farm Bureau to Modernize USDA Program", "2026-07-23", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) introduced H.R. 9781, the Defend American Agriculture Act, legislation that raises the borrowing authority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) from $30 billion to $45 billion through September 2031. Read the bill text here.\n\nThe CCC is the primary financing arm that USDA uses to fund programs crucial to American farmers. However, the borrowing cap has been frozen at $30 billion since 1987 and is insufficient for modern farm costs. The proposed increase would give USDA more capacity to deliver commodity support, disaster assistance, conservation funding, and export promotion for American farmers and ranchers.\n\n\u201cWith the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation\u2019s strong advocacy behind it, the Defend American Agriculture Act will help ensure our farmers can keep food on Americans\u2019 tables,\u201d said Congressman Higgins. \u201cOur farmers and ranchers have faced rising costs over the past four decades, and modernizing this outdated program is necessary to give our producers the support they need.\u201d", 1, "2026-07-25T07:13:44Z", "2026-07-25T07:15:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/23/higgins-works-with-louisiana-farm-bureau-to-modernize-usda-program/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9192670695483685, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}