{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://franklin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401", "Franklin, Rubio, Scott Urge USDA to Expedite Aid for Hurting Florida Agricultural Producers", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "FL", "Scott Franklin", "F000472", "franklin.house.gov", "franklin", "https://franklin.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Scott Franklin, (FL-18), joined by Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, led the entire Florida delegation in writing Secretary Vilsack to strongly urge the USDA take immediate action to provide disaster assistance for Florida agricultural producers affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.\n\n\"Back-to-back hurricanes have dealt a devastating blow to Florida's agricultural producers, many of whom are still recovering from the disastrous 2022 season,\" said Congressman Franklin. \"After four major storms in two years, our farmers and ranchers desperately need help now. One-size-fits-all federal disaster programs consistently fail our state's agricultural sector, creating onerous application processes and delaying critical aid. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, when USDA administered appropriated funds to Florida through a block grant, the state quickly got help into the hands of our producers. Putting Florida in the driver\u2019s seat made all the difference. Forgoing a federal program in favor of a state solution is a critical, but simple fix.\"\n\n\"The devastation from Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton has hit Florida\u2019s farmers hard, and the impacts are rippling through our state. These back-to-back storms wiped out crops, destroyed infrastructure, and put countless livelihoods in jeopardy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture must act swiftly to deliver the critical aid our agricultural producers need to rebuild and recover. Florida can\u2019t do this alone, and our farmers deserve nothing less than our full support,\u201d said Senator Rubio (R-FL).\n\n\u201cI\u2019m grateful to Congressman Franklin, Senators Rubio and Scott, and the Florida delegation for working together to provide support for our agricultural communities after the two devastating hurricanes this fall,\u201d said Congresswoman Cammack. \u201cWhen Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region, my colleagues to the south were quick to jump in and support our efforts as the recovery process began, and I\u2019ll be here to do the same with Hurricane Milton in South and Central Florida. Agriculture is one of our state\u2019s top industries and largest exports, and without it and all of the amazing people who work to feed, clothe, and fuel our state, we\u2019d simply never be the same. I look forward to seeing this effort across the finish line and ensuring our producers have everything they need to recover and come back stronger.\n\n\u201cFlorida is home to thriving agricultural regions, especially in South Florida, where oranges, mangoes, avocados, and countless other crops flourish. Our farmers work tirelessly to keep food on our tables, which is why it\u2019s critical to support them when they need it most. Hurricanes can wreak havoc on these crops, devastating entire harvests. I join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling for immediate aid to our agricultural producers, so we can ensure Florida remains a vital agricultural hub for generations to come,\u201d said Congresswoman Wilson.\n\n\u201cSupporting our agricultural producers is crucial to the strength and security of our nation. I am proud to join Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-18), Senator Rubio, Senator Scott, and other members of the Florida delegation in a letter emphasizing this priority. We are urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expedite assistance through block grants, address FSA staffing issues, and advocate for crop insurance reform. These measures will strengthen essential support for Florida\u2019s growers and reinforce the USDA\u2019s awareness of agriculture\u2019s critical impact. Food security is national security, and our delegation will continue to support and prioritize our growers,\u201d said Congressman Mills.\n\n\u201cAs Florida\u2019s former director of emergency management, I can\u2019t understate the importance of USDA providing relief to those impacted by Hurricane Helene and Milton. Such a major part of Florida\u2019s economy has been wrecked by these storms, and it\u2019s critical that the federal government help the producers that feed our state and our nation get back on their feet,\u201d said Congressman Moskowitz.\n\n\u201cAgriculture is such an important part of Florida's 15th District, and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, our farmers and producers need our support. I am urging the USDA to quickly take action and deliver aid to our agriculture producers in Florida who were affected by these disasters so they can get back to feeding America,\u201d said Congresswoman Lee.\n\n\"Florida's farmers are resilient, but Hurricanes Milton and Helene dealt a severe blow to our agriculture. We are doing everything necessary to ensure they get back on their feet and continue their essential work in our great state,\" said Congresswoman Luna. \"I stand with my colleagues in a bipartisan call for immediate action and disaster aid from the Department of Agriculture for our agricultural producers. This is vital for our communities in Pinellas and all across Florida.\"\n\nHurricanes Helene and Milton delivered a severe blow to our farmers, growers, and agricultural community, and they are in desperate need of federal assistance. Agriculture is critical to our state\u2014 generating more than $182.6 billion in annual revenue and providing more than 2.5 million jobs. I\u2019m proud to join Congressman Franklin and my colleagues in calling on Secretary Vilsack to provide swift disaster relief to help our producers recover and rebuild Northeast Florida\u2019s agricultural industry,\u201d said Congressman Bean.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got to make sure all Floridians have the support they need to fully recover from these disasters. This is especially true for small businesses and industries that are critical to our state\u2019s economy, such as agriculture,\u201d said Congressman Bilirakis. \u201cWe will continue to push the Administration to expedite delivery of this crucial disaster aid.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought devastation to our communities, Florida\u2019s farmers showed us their resilience and commitment to putting food on our tables,\u201d said Congresswoman. Salazar. \u201cAgriculture is a critical part of Florida\u2019s economy, and I am proud to join my colleagues in getting our farmers the help they deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith back-to-back storm devastation this season, including Hurricane Milton\u2019s path moving through some of Florida\u2019s most productive agricultural areas, there is no question USDA must step up and do more to deliver disaster assistance to Florida\u2019s agricultural communities. As federal representatives, we owe it to our farmers, ranchers, and producers to fight for the aid they need to swiftly recover. Americans across our country rely on the prosperity of Florida\u2019s agricultural industries,\u201d said Congressman Steube.\n\nSpecifically, in the letter Rep. Franklin and the Florida delegation:\n\nEmphasize the necessity for the USDA to utilize block grants to distribute aid to Florida and other specialty-crop states, where high volume of disaster program applications overwhelm local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices and delay assistance for producers;\n\nDemand USDA enhance current FSA operations and improve staffing issues;\n\nUrge the USDA to provide a budgetary request to House and Senate Appropriations Committees to ensure Congress can appropriate adequate funding for disaster response;\n\nDiscuss crop insurance reforms to help specialty crop producers recover in tandem with disaster aid; and\n\nReasserts Congress\u2019 desire to collaborate with USDA to ensure proper support for Florida agriculture.\n\nHurricane Milton made landfall on Florida\u2019s Gulf Coast just 13 days after Helene and brought high winds, flooding and damage across the entire state. Milton\u2019s path impacted some of Florida\u2019s most productive agricultural areas for fruits, vegetables, dairy, cattle, citrus and other specialty crops. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), the preliminary estimate of total crop and infrastructure losses ranges from $1.5 to $2.5 billion.\n\nCongress appropriates relief and disaster funds for the USDA to disburse relief. Currently, it is USDA\u2019s practice to stand up new, unique programs after disasters. These programs are administered by FSA, the USDA subagency charged with helping agricultural producers apply for aid and other USDA assistance programs.\n\nThis practice not only makes the disaster relief process arduous, but also delays delivery of critical assistance for the producers who feed our state and nation. FSA offices across Florida are still having trouble facilitating disaster assistance programs after 2022 Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, which were not in the form of a block grant.\n\nIn contrast, block grants administered by the state expedite disbursement, free up personnel at FSA to efficiently carry out routine programs and provide needed flexibility for states.\n\nAfter Hurricane Irma, Congress appropriated relief to help Florida agriculture and USDA delivered that aid through a block grant to the state. The State of Florida was successful in getting that aid without delay.\n\nOn June 12, 2023, Congressman Franklin and Senator Scott\u2019s effort, the Block Grant Assistance Act (H.R. 662/ S. 180), which would empower the USDA to administer calendar year 2022 disaster relief via block grants, passed the House of Representatives unanimously.\n\nCosigners include: Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03); Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13); Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL-02); Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL-21); Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26); Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL-15); Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL-06); Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL-04); Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL-08); Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL-05); Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL-09); Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL-7); Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23); Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25); Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL-17); Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL-22); Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL-28); Rep. Federica Wilson (D-FL-24); Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20); Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01); Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14)\n\nYou can read the text of the letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"]], "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://franklin.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8230269886553288, "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"}