Dr. Karen McCormick Opposes Farm Bill Proposal, Calls for Bipartisan Solutions to Pressing Rural Issues

Statement

Democratic candidate for Colorado's Fourth Congressional District Dr. Karen McCormick issued the following statement in opposition to the Farm Bill Proposal that could be considered on the House floor as early as next week:

"An overwhelming number of Coloradans feel that Rep. Ken Buck and his colleagues in Congress are not working with their best interests in mind, and the disastrous Farm Bill Proposal that is making its way to the floor only reinforces these sentiments.

"Farm income has plummeted by half since 2013 and Colorado farmers are counting on their leaders to step in with a fix, but this bill would fail to even offer adequate crop insurance to Colorado farmers and will only exacerbate the problems faced by farmers and ranchers in the Fourth Congressional District.

"Rural communities in our district are counting on Congress to re-approve programs like the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Energy Title, but Rep. Ken Buck and his colleagues are recklessly leaving behind rural America once again in favor of the lavish kickbacks that he will receive from the D.C. special interests for voting in favor of this bill.

"This Farm Bill Proposal will undoubtedly be bad for Colorado farmers and ranchers, and that is why I am standing alongside organizations like the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union in opposition to this proposal.

"It is time for the needs of Colorado farmers and ranchers to come before the D.C. special interests, but Rep. Ken Buck has proven time and time again that he simply is not interested in the needs of the hardworking Coloradans that he was elected to represent.

"Our Farm Bill needs to have sufficient crop insurance funding to make sure our farmers and ranchers can put afford to put food on their own tables during extended periods of low commodity prices, adequate funding for programs like SNAP that help to provide healthy and secure food sources to low income communities, and expanded access to credit for beginning farmers and ranchers to support the next generation of agricultural producers and ensure that America has food security for generations to come.

"In Congress, I will fight hard for bipartisan solutions in the Farm Bill that work for Colorado families."

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