{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gabe-vasquez-leads-group-agriculture-committee-urging-congressional", "Rep. Gabe Vasquez Leads Group on Agriculture Committee Urging Congressional Leadership to Pass Bipartisan Farm Bill", "2024-09-12", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Gabe Vasquez", "V000136", "vasquez.house.gov", "vasquez", "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On Wednesday, September 11, U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez (N.M.-02) and Andrea Salinas (O.R.-06) led the House Agriculture Committee Democrats\u2019 effort to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports families and farmers. In the letter to House and Senate leadership signed by 21 Committee members, Vasquez emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive Farm Bill that protects vital nutrition programs and strengthens support for the agricultural industry in New Mexico and across the country.\n\n\u201cFamilies and farmers across New Mexico and the nation have been clear\u2014they need stability and leadership, not delays and partisan political bickering. A strong agricultural sector is necessary for our nation\u2019s food security and national security. House Agriculture Committee leaders need to act now to deliver a bipartisan Farm Bill,\u201d said Vasquez. \u201cI come from an agriculture community, a family of ranchers, and I\u2019ve spent my entire term working on bipartisan solutions to fund traditional Farm Bill programs. After recent meetings with families who rely on nutrition programs in my district, it\u2019s clear to me that our nation needs a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports SNAP, feeds our families and supports farmers, ranchers and producers.\u201d\n\nHouse Agriculture Republicans\u2019 current extreme, anti-family version of Farm Bill has no path to the President\u2019s Desk. Their partisan approach cuts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for hungry families in New Mexico by $340 million. Right now, one in four children are food insecure in New Mexico\u2019s second congressional district. The letter calls on House and Senate leadership on both sides of the aisle to come together to do what is right for American farmers and families.\n\nOn the House Agriculture Committee, Vasquez is a strong advocate for New Mexico\u2019s agricultural industry and food assistance programs. Last year, he formed an Agriculture Advisory Group composed of agricultural leaders from across the district to guide his work in Congress and ensure New Mexico\u2019s farmers, ranchers and producers have a voice in Washington.\n\nThe letter comes following Vasquez\u2019s recent meeting with Roadrunner Food Bank and Rio Grande Food Project in Albuquerque to discuss food insecurity that many families in the area are facing. They talked about the importance of passing a Farm Bill that protects and expands critical nutrition programs, such as SNAP, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).\n\nVasquez is committed to fighting for hard-working families and ensuring they are able to put food on the table. He continues to fight for a Farm Bill that addresses the unique needs of New Mexico\u2019s rural and urban communities, from protecting SNAP benefits to supporting farmers, ranchers and producers.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "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://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gabe-vasquez-leads-group-agriculture-committee-urging-congressional"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9708460420370102, "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"}