{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-davids-hosts-bipartisan-policymakers-farm-tour-discussion-boosting", "ICYMI: Davids Hosts Bipartisan Policymakers for Farm Tour, Discussion on Boosting Kansas\u2019 Agriculture Economy", "2024-04-10", "2024", "2024-04", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Recently, Representative Sharice Davids hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, Former Kansas Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam, and other policymakers from both parties to discuss the successes and challenges of Kansas\u2019 farmers and producers. The group toured a local farm, held a discussion and press conference with regional agriculture professionals, and ate a lunch of locally sourced food.\n\nAlong with Torres Small, Roberts, and Beam, Davids was joined by former Representatives Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chair of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, and Jim Slattery (KS-02). Throughout the day, the need to overcome partisan gridlock and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill reauthorization was consistently highlighted.\n\nDavids\u2019 efforts to support Kansas\u2019 agriculture economy made headlines across Kansas:\n\nKansas Reflector: \u201cDavids, Roberts anxious about Washington gridlock inhibiting development of new farm bill\u201d\n\n\u201cDemocratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and former Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts share bipartisan angst about political gridlock impeding progress on a new five-year farm bill outlining federal programs in agriculture, conservation, nutrition and trade.\n\n[\u2026]\n\n\u2018You can see that the economy and the future of our state is so tied up on how well our farmers and producers in the ag sector are doing,\u2019 said Davids, who serves the five-county 3rd District. \u2018The farm bill is not a partisan issue. I\u2019ll continue working to pass a bipartisan farm bill this year.\u2019\n\nShe said after touring a Johnson County farm and taking part in a roundtable discussion on agriculture that the tradition of the House and Senate taking a bipartisan approach to the farm bill was being challenged by combative politicians in Washington, D.C.\n\n\u2018I was honored to be joined by so many agriculture professionals and policymakers from both parties as we work to ensure Kansas producers have the support needed to thrive,\u2019 Davids said.\n\n[\u2026]\n\n[Roberts] said serving as agriculture committee chairman during work on four farm bills taught him lawmakers \u2014 urban and rural, conservative and liberal \u2014 had to set aside differences and reach across the aisle.\n\n\u2018We know the most important thing when you get down to it is to get a bill passed to provide farmers certainty and predictability,\u2019 Roberts said. \u2018That is the most important question you have with the farm bill. Unfortunately, that is not the most important question we see today in the House of Representatives.\u2019\u201d\n\nFOX4 Kansas City:\n\n\u201cCongresswoman Sharice Davids promises to get a Farm Bill across the finish line in DC for Kansas and she talked with local Kansas farmers and agriculture officials. The work on the Farm Bill has stretched out for nearly a year.\n\n\u2018It\u2019s not just this piece of paper. It\u2019s actually a critical piece of legislation and lifeline for our farmers.\u2019\n\n[\u2026]\n\nFormer Kansas Senator Pat Roberts was at Congresswoman Davids\u2019 roundtable. He blamed a group of lawmakers who are part of the Freedom Caucus for delaying the Farm Bill.\n\n\u2018That\u2019s not the House that House that I represented for many years, or, for that matter, the Senate. And it is very troubling to me.\u2019\u201d\n\nKFRM News: \u201cU.S. Representative Sharice Davids Hosts Agriculture Roundtable In Kansas: Discusses Farm Bill And Support For Local Farmers\u201d\n\n\u201cOn Wednesday, March 27th, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids hosted a roundtable discussion in Olathe about the accomplishments and challenges farmers and producers face in Kansas.\n\n[\u2026]\n\n\u2018When I get the chance to talk to folks \u2014 first of all, the Farm Bill is a must pass piece of legislation \u2026 and a bunch of those programs, things like crop insurance, things like the programs for cover crops \u2026 those are the kinds of programs that have a lifeline because of the Farm Bill.\u2019\n\nRep. Davids said that she is optimistic that the Farm Bill will pass.\n\n\u2018If it takes longer than it needs to, I wouldn\u2019t look at it as a Farm Bill not passing. I would look at it as, if absolutely necessary, we will extend so that we can continue the negotiations. But we will get a Farm Bill done.\u2019\n\nRep. Davids said she wants people to know the work is getting done, and that she is focused on supporting Kansas resources.\u201d\n\nThe Gardner News: \u201cUS Rep. Davids visits local farm, hosts policymakers for Farm Bill discussion\u201d\n\nThe future of farming in Kansas was the center of the conversation March 27.\n\n[\u2026]\n\nDavids said the day had been fun and informative, and Finley Farms was a \u2018prime\u2019 example of a small, thriving agriculture business.\n\n[\u2026]\n\n\u2018Kansas farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our nation, providing food and resources to folks here at home and around the world,\u2019 she said.\n\nU.S. Dept. of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small said it was through investment that the Finley family was able to look at the best and most efficient way to grow their crops and \u2018be able to pass that farm on for generations.\u2019\n\n\u2018We know we succeed when we invest in farmers and rural communities,\u2019 she said.\n\nFormer Senator Pat Roberts said a six generation farm is unusual. \u2018And probably the most serious question we have is where is the next generation of farmers going to come from,\u2019 he said. \u2018Finley Farms has that answer so our hats off to them.\u2019\n\n[\u2026]\n\n\u2018You can see the economy and the future of our State is so tied up into how well our farmers and producers in the Ag sector are doing,\u2019 she said. Davids said they need to get to the root of the issues folks are facing and addressing the most pressing challenges.\n\nDavids said the Farm Bill is not a partisan issue. \u2018It\u2019s a common sense solution to lower grocery costs and safeguard our food supply, create good-paying jobs in rural American and sustain Kansas\u2019 agricultural heritage for generations to come,\u2019 she said.\n\n[\u2026]\n\nRoberts said Davids is doing a great job and sitting on the wagon tongue listening to her constituents.\n\n\u2018Farmers never put their seed in the ground if he or she didn\u2019t have optimism that they wouldn\u2019t have a crop,\u2019 he said. Roberts said, however, this year was different. \u2018This is different from 2018,\u2019 he said. \u2018Always before the Ag Committee would come out with a bi-partisan agreement.\u2019\n\nRoberts said the most important thing is to get a bill passed; especially the Farm Bill. \u2018To provide farmers certainty and predictability,\u2019 he said. \u2018That is the most important question you have with the Farm Bill. Unfortunately, that is not the most important question we see today in the House of Representatives. The stars in our constellation are much different from the ones that we are today.\u2019\n\nRoberts said he \u2018chalks up\u2019 the bill\u2019s gridlock issues to ideology and partisanship.\n\n[\u2026]\n\nRoberts said Davids had been a \u2018jewel\u2019 with all her hard work trying to bring everyone together. In return, Davids said Roberts had been an invaluable resource for her and her team.\n\n[\u2026]\n\nDavids said everyone needs to do everything they can to make sure politics \u2018doesn\u2019t hinder\u2019 the ability to help and support farmers access essential resources for daily decision making, business operations and putting food on their tables. \u2018Because they are putting food on everyone else\u2019s table,\u2019 she said.\n\n[\u2026]\n\nDavids said she views her role as 3rd District Representative as representing everyone.\n\n\u2018I think of this role as being of collaboration and listening and trying to support with federal resources where I can,\u2019 she said.\u201d\n\nKansas City Star Politics:\n\n\u201cFormer Sen. Pat Roberts had some stern words for the Republican House Freedom caucus at a press conference urging the passage of the Farm Bill. Roberts, who was invited to speak by Rep. Sharice Davids, said \u2018ideologues\u2019 in the House were preventing Congress from doing its business, like reauthorizing the Farm Bill to give farmers some stability.\n\n\u2018If you\u2019re an ideologue, they\u2019re right, you\u2019re wrong, and no amount of talking or reasonable conversation or whatever is going to bring them to the table,\u2019 Roberts said. \u2018That\u2019s what we\u2019re faced with. Quite frankly, the Republican Party in the House of Representatives is in danger of losing their majority, due to this kind of performance or non-performance. And they\u2019re not doing their constituents any favors.\u2019", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T20:47:55Z"]], "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://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-davids-hosts-bipartisan-policymakers-farm-tour-discussion-boosting"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0607768781483173, "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"}