• South Dakotans continue to struggle though one of the worst droughts in decades, but Washington, D.C. continues to stall on a Farm Bill. I'm fed up with Washington excuses. We need to get a Farm Bill done now, and that's why I'm helping lead the effort to force a vote on this important legislation.
• I recently signed a petition that would force a vote on the Farm Bill if 218 House members sign it. I was the first Republican to do so and I am encouraging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same. I am also working to educate other members on just how important a Farm Bill is to every American that wants to put affordable food on the table.
• At a "Farm Bill Now" rally on Capitol Hill, I was one of four congressional speakers to discuss the importance of a Farm Bill. In front of hundreds of farmers and ranchers from across the nation, including many from South Dakota, I highlighted the critical role a Farm Bill plays not just to rural economies, but to our nation's food supply and national security. If the logical "field to table" argument doesn't work on some, I'm also taking to the House floor to tell the stories of real South Dakotans struggling from the uncertainty coming out of Washington.
• One couple from Houghton is especially concerned about long-term agriculture policy, because they're hoping to pass their farming operation on to their three sons. Another couple wants to make planting decisions for their farming and ranching operation in Wall, but without a Farm Bill, they have less certainty about what the future holds for them. It is not right to leave these and other hard working Americans without certainty because too many in Washington don't think getting a Farm Bill done is important enough right now.
• The Farm Bill expires at the end of this month. Getting a new one done is a top priority for me, and it should be a top priority for this Congress. Our farmers and ranchers deserve certainty, and I will keep fighting every day to make sure they get it. From holding leadership's feet to the fire to schedule a vote, to gathering signatures for the discharge petition and continuing to educate other Members, I will not stop working to get a Farm Bill done for South Dakota.