Black Wealth and All Else Black and Women's History New York Global.Biz Feb/Mar. 2020

POLITICALLY ASTUTE
Delgado’s Bipartisan Family
Farmer Relief Act Signed
Into Law
U. S. Democrat HR Antonio Delgado, should have been a
celebrated elected official during the summer of 2018, for his
sweeping rapidly approved U.S. Farm Bill that's saving
thousands of U.S. farmers from bankruptcy, as a result of the
U.S. vs. China tariffs. He was a vehemently opposed 2018
Democrat HR candidate, despite being a former Rhodes Scholar
and lawyer, mainly music artistry and producer career that
opponents deemed unfit for Congress.
Bipartisan Family Farmer Relief Act Signed Into Law
KINGSTON, NY, August 26, 2019 —Today, Representative
Antonio Delgado’s bill to aid family farmers during downturns
in the agriculture economy was signed into law by President
Trump. H.R. 2336, The Family Farmer Relief Act, eases the
process of reorganizing debt through Chapter 12 bankruptcy
rules, a tool created specifically to help family farmers during
tough economic times. Delgado introduced the legislation in
April with support from House Judiciary Committee Ranking
Member Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), House Agriculture
Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), and Reps. TJ
Cox (D-Calif.), Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) and Dusty Johnson
(R-S.D.). This legislation passed the House on July 26, the
Senate on August 2, and was signed into law today, August 23,
2019.
“Today is a victory for our small and mid-size farmers who now
have the flexibility to reorganize their debt and continue
operations in what continues to be a challenging time for
agriculture. In this era of bitter partisanship, I was proud to lead
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass a bipartisan,
commonsense bill to help small farmers in New York’s 19th
Congressional District during this down farm economy. Today,
the President signed the Family Farmer Relief Act into law—
following bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.”
Delgado continued, “I thank my bipartisan, bicameral partners
for their work to move this legislation through the House and
Senate and to bring this urgent relief to our farmers. While the
Family Farmer Relief Act is an important first step—our work
is not done. I will continue to fight for small and mid-size
farmers across our region during this downturn in the farm
economy.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said,
“Farm Bureau is appreciative that the Family Farmer Relief Act
of 2019 is now law. This law relieves some of the uncertainty
farmers are facing due to export market disruptions, weather
events and declining farm income. It will help family farmers
reorganize after falling on hard times by increasing the debt
limit for relief eligibility under the Chapter 12 bankruptcy code.
While this is a sobering reflection of the current state of the
agricultural economy, we are grateful to Congress, the President
and his administration for their prioritization of reforming our
current bankruptcy laws."
The Family Farmer Relief Act was introduced with a Senate
companion led by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar
(D-MN), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Thom Tillis
(R-NC), Doug Jones (D-AL), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tina Smith (D-
MN). The bill addresses an outdated debt cap of that limits
eligibility for Chapter 12 bankruptcy relief and has essentially
rendered the tool inaccessible to farmers today. Delgado’s bill
expands the debt that can be covered under Chapter 12 from
$3,237,000 to $10,000,000. The changes reflect the increase in land
values, as well as the growth over time in the average size of U.S.
farming operations and are meant to provide farmers additional
options to keep their doors open during downturns in the farm
economy. The legislation is endorsed by the American Farm Bureau,
National Farmers Union, National Corn Growers Association,
National Milk Producers Federation, the National Pork Producers
Council, and the American Bankruptcy Institute.
As a member of the Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure,
and Small Business Committees, Delgado has prioritized bringing
the voices of small farmers to Washington and assure passage of the
Family Farmer Relief Act. Rep. Delgado introduced H.R. 2336, the
Family Farmer Relief Act in April, and in June, gave testimony
before the House Judiciary Committee on his bill and the plight of
small farms today. Following that hearing, the bill passed out of
committee before being voted favorably out of the full House last
week. Rep. Delgado then worked with Sen. Grassley (R-IA) and
Senate Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) to secure its passage in
the Senate prior to a month-long work period when both senators
and representatives return home. The President signed the legislation
into law today, August 23.
The 19th Congressional District is home to just under 5,000 farms
and 96% of these farms are family-owned farms. Rep. Delgado
represents the eighth most rural district in the country and the third
most rural Democratic district. In his first seven months in office,
Rep. Delgado has established and met with his Agriculture Advisory
Committee, toured more than 22 farms, and sat down with local
farmers across the district to hear about localized infrastructure,
technology needs, and sustainable farming practices.
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