Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME), a longtime organic farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee, spoke out against Republicans’ Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies FY 2027 funding bill.  During the House Appropriations Committee markup of the bill today, Pingree criticized the funding bill for cutting nutrition assistance, farmer support, conservation programs, local food initiatives and USDA staffing at a time when families are sturgging to afford healthy food and farmers are facing rising costs, extreme weather and tariff chaos.

“Republicans can say they care about farmers and the health of Americans.  But the choices they make in this bill tell a very different story.  Our farmers deserve better.  Our rual communities deserve better.  Families trying to put healthy food on the table deserve better,” Pingree said.

Pingree argued that Republicans’s claims to support farmers and the “Maine America Healthy Again” movement are contradicted by a bill that cuts WIC fruit and vegetable benefits, weaaakens local food systems and includes poison pill riders that undermine fair competition and public health.

“How do we expect to make America healhy if we are cutting the very benefit that helps pregnant women, new moms, babies and young childen access healthy fruits and vegetables?” Pingree said.  “…..This is at a time when nearly half of children in this country do not eat a vegetable every day.  So, I just do not understand how anyone can say we are making America healthy while cutting the benefit that helps children eat healthy food.”

For 2027, House Republicans agriculture funding bi provides $6.3 billion in discreionary funding, a 4 percent cut below 2026.  The legislation:

Increases costs for farmers and rural communities; hurts farmers by cutting the number of federal and local employees who help them access government resources they are promised; threatens access to food for hardworking and vulnerable Americans by failig to ensure that every eligible recipient can access their benefits, by not providing the full fruit and vegetable benefit to USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Congresswoman Pingree’s testimony ended with:  “Our farmers deserve better.  Our rural communities deserve better.  Families tryng to put healthy food on the table deserve better.”