{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/06/24/slotkin-bennet-booker-fetterman-lujan-warnock-introduce-legislation-to-provide-assistance-to-specialty-crop-farmers/", "Slotkin,\u00a0Bennet, Booker, Fetterman, Luj\u00e1n, Warnock, Introduce\u00a0Legislation to\u00a0Provide Assistance to\u00a0Specialty Crop Farmers", "2026-06-24", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Elissa Slotkin", "S001208", "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "slotkin", "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-NM), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and John Fetterman (D-PA) introduced the Cultivating Horticultural Innovation in Local Economies (CHILE) Act to expand federal protections for specialty crop growers hurt by financial losses and market instability.\n\nThe CHILE Act builds on a Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework included in the House-passed Farm Bill, requiring USDA to use that structure when sending direct aid to these producers. Right now, specialty crop growers don\u2019t have the same kind of reliable, standardized disaster relief safety net that other farmers enjoy. The CHILE Act would change that by creating a predictable, consistent process for getting emergency help to these growers when they need it most.\n\n\u201cNo one does specialty crops like Michigan. We grow everything from cherries, to asparagus, to blueberries, and all are enduring incredible instability,\u201d said Senator Slotkin. \u201cThe CHILE Act is built around their unique needs and provides billions in direct assistance to help ensure Michigan remains one of the most agriculturally diverse states. Making the federal government work for specialty crop producers is a priority, and this bill is a good step in the right direction.\u201d\n\nThe CHILE Act would:\n\nRequire USDA to use the Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework when providing direct assistance to specialty crop growers;\n\nClarify that specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops, including floriculture; and\n\nProvide $5 billion in direct assistance to specialty crop producers for fiscal year 2027.\n\n\u201cSpecialty crop growers are critical to New Mexico\u2019s agricultural economy and to feeding communities across the nation,\u201d said Senator Luj\u00e1n. \u201cWhen disasters, market disruptions, and other challenges threaten their livelihoods, growers deserve a reliable process for getting the emergency assistance they need. My CHILE Act strengthens support for specialty crop producers by ensuring USDA has and uses a reliable framework to provide timely assistance when specialty crop growers need it most.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnyone who has ever enjoyed Georgia peaches, blueberries, pecans, or Vidalia onions knows that Georgia\u2019s specialty crop producers are so important to our state\u2019s agricultural economy and our culture,\u201d said Senator Reverend Warnock. \u201cThe CHILE Act would provide specialty crop producers expanded access to USDA support should disaster strike. I\u2019m proud to work with my colleagues on this legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cSpecialty crop farmers are being squeezed from every direction. President Trump canceled the contracts that had local farmers supply food to schools and food banks, while his reckless tariff and trade policies have driven up costs. Despite all of this, the USDA\u2019s \u2018Farmer Bridge Assistance Program\u2019 shortchanged specialty crop farmers on their fair share of support and saddled them with a burdensome application process that is ill-suited to how specialty crop farms operate. We need real investment in specialty crop farms, designed to meet farmer needs,\u201d said Senator Booker.\n\n\u201cColorado specialty crop farmers deserve a reliable and predictable disaster assistance framework, just like other agricultural producers,\u201d said Senator Bennet. \u201cToo often, disasters and market disruptions leave specialty crop growers facing significant economic uncertainty. The CHILE Act will help ensure growers have access to the support they need during challenging times, helping family farms remain viable and strengthening Colorado\u2019s agricultural economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cPennsylvania farmers help put food on our tables, create local jobs, and keep our agricultural economy moving. Having a framework that allows them to get the direct assistance they need is just one step in safeguarding farmers in times of economic loss,\u201d said Senator Fetterman. \u201cI\u2019m proud to support this legislation that would strengthen federal support allowing these specialty crop farmers to have the funding and tools they need to help succeed today and everyday.\u201d\n\nFull bill text is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-25T06:30:03Z", "2026-06-25T06:31:21Z"]], "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.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/06/24/slotkin-bennet-booker-fetterman-lujan-warnock-introduce-legislation-to-provide-assistance-to-specialty-crop-farmers/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8277851156890392, "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"}