Yesterday, President Trump signed the $19.1 billion disaster relief bill into into law. This is a huge relief to farmers and ranchers across the country who were affected by flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters..
According to a statement from the White House, “President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 2157, the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019. This critical bipartisan legislation provides $19.1 billion to help Americans recover from the catastrophic disasters that have struck the Nation in the past three years. The Act includes $4.5 billion to the Department of Agriculture for agricultural-related losses, emergency timber restoration, farmland repair, and watershed recovery work to help our great American farmers and ranchers.
“It also provides $3.3 billion for the Corps of Engineers to repair damages caused by natural disasters, to invest in new flood and storm damage reduction projects, and to make the Nation more resilient to future natural disasters. Additionally, the Department of Defense will receive $2.7 billion to repair and replace certain installations. This bill also includes other critical funding, such as $1.6 billion to the Department of Transportation for the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program and additional resources for wildfire suppression activities conducted by the United States Forest Service.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said, “The disaster relief measure signed by President Trump today is an important lifeline for farmers and ranchers whose greatest desire is to keep producing the food, fuel, and fiber that make our way of life possible. The last two years have brought historic hurricanes like Florence and Michael. We have faced wildfires, tornadoes, and flooding that has led to the worst planting season on record for many commodities. Many farmers have faced near-complete losses, and this measure will help us weather the storm.
“Americans have always come together in times of need to help lift our neighbors and support our communities. We thank Congress and the President for delivering this much-needed assistance for American agriculture.”
