{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.daines.senate.gov/2024/07/17/senator-daines-signs-bipartisan-letter-to-protect-montanas-potato-crops/", "Senator Daines Signs Bipartisan Letter to Protect Montana\u2019s Potato Crops", "2024-07-17", "2024", "2024-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MT", "Steve Daines", "D000618", "www.daines.senate.gov", "daines", "https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "U.S. Senator Steve Daines joined a bipartisan group of senators urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase efforts in protecting crops from the potato wart disease.\n\n\u201cIf potato wart should enter the United States, our farmers and the communities they support will be economically devastated,\u201d the senators wrote in a letter. \u201cGiven that twenty percent of our potato crop\u2014valued at over $2 billion\u2014is exported, we cannot allow introduction of a disease that would shut off access to international markets, and also curtail domestic production and sales.\u201d\n\nPotato wart is a highly destructive disease that reduces crop yields and makes potatoes unmarketable. There is currently no treatment available to remove it from contaminated farmland. Senator Daines urged the USDA to take the following actions to protect crops from the potato wart:\n\nRestrict bulk shipments into the United States to smaller-size packages\n\nLimit large retail shipments and ensure consumers know they are for consumption rather than cultivation\n\nControl the waste generated by processing facilities\n\nSenator Daines joined Senators Crapo (R-Idaho), Wyden (D- Ore.), Boozman (R-Ark.), Collins (R-Mich.), Cramer (R-N.D.), Hoeven (R- N.D.),Ricketts (R-Neb.), Risch (R-Idaho), Bennett (D-Colo.), Cantwell (D-Wash.), Fetterman (D-Pa.), Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), King (I-Maine), Merkley (D-Ore.), Murray (D-Wash.), Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Tester (D-Mont) in signing the letter.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:32:29Z"]], "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://www.daines.senate.gov/2024/07/17/senator-daines-signs-bipartisan-letter-to-protect-montanas-potato-crops/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6925670895725489, "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"}