WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today cast a spotlight on the dire economic crisis facing American family farmers and the rural communities they support and called on Congress to act soon to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the U.S. agricultural economy.
Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, outlined the seriousness of the problems facing farmers and rural communities in a floor speech on Wednesday. The speech was delivered on the 15th day of a Senate Democrat-led government shutdown that has restricted access to U.S. Department of Agriculture services and programs.
“I’m concerned that as American agriculture and rural communities face very hard times, many Americans are unaware of the stakes ahead. Here’s the bottom line: American agriculture is in serious trouble, and Congress must act now with short-term assistance. That’s not hyperbole,” Hyde-Smith said. “Without immediate action, we risk losing not only farms, but also the rural communities and the food security they provide. This is no longer a warning, it’s an emergency.”
Hyde-Smith credited Congress for the market loss assistance approved late last year for farmers and the updated commodity price structure in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act/Working Families Tax Cut. However, she added that worsening conditions in farm country demand further action, including new “bridge” assistance to keep family farms afloat.
“Farmers are still facing impossible choices about whether they can afford to plant next year or stay in business at all. I fully support ongoing work to provide additional federal bridge funding before the end of the year to ensure more of our family farms can stay in business,” Hyde-Smith said. “We all represent different sectors of American agriculture, but the crisis doesn’t discriminate. It spans commodities, regions, and party lines. What matters now is that we come together with urgency and with purpose. Our farmers are counting on us. It’s time for Congress to meet the moment before it’s too late.”
Hyde-Smith said she is encouraged by the bipartisan work underway to complete a five-year reauthorization of the Farm Bill, adding that she hopes Congress will also embrace policies that strengthen the long-term global competitiveness of American farmers.
“Over the long term, we know American agriculture will be stronger if we secure fairer trade deals and build stable markets at home and abroad. Our competitors – China, Argentina, Brazil, and others – are moving aggressively. I believe that if we don’t act quickly, we’ll lose vital export opportunities and long-term stability for our producers,” Hyde-Smith said.
Hyde-Smith cited her Buying American Cotton Act (S.1919) as an example of a tax policy change that could, over time, help create market changes that benefit U.S. cotton producers. S.1919 would authorize transferable tax credits on the sale of cotton products, including but not limited to apparel, home textiles, and nonwovens that are either fully manufactured in the United States or imported if made in whole or in part from U.S. extra-long staple cotton or upland cotton.
“In this world of global competition, we must revive American-grown cotton to be the center of our supply chains, providing reliable markets for our producers and bolstering industries that depend on cotton,” Hyde-Smith said. “I introduced the Buying American Cotton Act to help get us there by incentivizing U.S. retailers to produce, purchase, and manufacture American cotton here at home. This legislation would help secure a resilient, self-reliant, and prosperous cotton industry for the future by reinforcing our supply chain – from farm to textile to market – and by reducing our reliance on cotton produced under forced labor practices and environmental destruction.”
Read Hyde-Smith’s speech, as prepared for delivery, here.
