{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/07/24/slotkin-calls-on-agriculture-committee-leadership-to-support-michigan-specialty-crop-farmers-in-farm-bill/", "Slotkin\u00a0Calls on\u00a0Agriculture Committee Leadership to Support\u00a0Michigan\u00a0Specialty Crop Farmers in Farm Bill", "2026-07-24", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Elissa Slotkin", "S001208", "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "slotkin", "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) joined Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-NM), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA), fellow members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in urging committee leadership to include provisions in the upcoming Farm Bill that support specialty crop farmers. Specialty crops are vital to Michigan\u2019s economy and identity, driving agricultural diversity, local processing, and agritourism across more than 300 produced commodities. The state ranks number one nationally in the production of tart cherries, cucumbers for processing, and asparagus.\n\nSlotkin previously introduced the Fairness for Fruits and Vegetables Act, which would add more mechanisms to address unfair trade practices hurting American and Michigan specialty crop producers. She also co-led the CHILE Act, which would expand federal protections for specialty crop growers hurt by financial losses and market instability.\n\nThe Senators wrote a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), outlining the importance of working to produce a Farm Bill that includes improvements to economic assistance for specialty crop growers, funding for healthy food programs, and increased flexibilities for growers\u2019 access to crop insurance.\n\n\u201cWhile providing states with relief for the SNAP cost-shift remains a top priority, we simultaneously remain committed to ensuring the success of specialty crop growers in our states and throughout the nation,\u201d wrote the Senators.\n\n\u201cInclusion of these policy proposals in the Farm Bill will better ensure that specialty crop producers have the tools they need to succeed and that American and international consumers have easy, affordable access to healthy fruits, vegetables, and nuts,\u201d the Senators continued.\n\nRead the full letter here .", 1, "2026-07-25T07:13:44Z", "2026-07-25T07:15:09Z"]], "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/2026/07/24/slotkin-calls-on-agriculture-committee-leadership-to-support-michigan-specialty-crop-farmers-in-farm-bill/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8288049139082432, "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"}