USDA Secretary Rollins has acknowledged she and the administration are aware critical emergency farm aid are currently being held up by the government shutdown. Speaking with Fox News, Rollins noted USDA’s readiness to issue the promised aid saying, “As soon as the shutdown lifts, we’ll be ready to roll something out.” Meanwhile, roughly 42,000 USDA staff members are furloughed including FSA and NRCS staffers. Rollins remarked it is currently difficult to grasp the full impact of the shutdown on farm country saying, “We’re not even entirely sure what the damage is yet, so it’s hard to craft.”
Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that Senate Majority Leader John Thune is quietly pressing administration officials to let farmers continue to access Marketing Assistance Loans, which help meet cash flow needs during harvest season and as planting decisions for next year loom. Thus far, administration officials say they have no plans to shift other money around for the agriculture loans like they’ve done with troop pay and other priorities.
U.S. senators failed for the 10th time to resolve the U.S. government shutdown in votes last Thursday. The shutdown is now the third-longest funding lapse in modern history.
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