“Protecting Lake Okeechobee is vital to ensuring that people who depend on the Lake have access to safe and reliable drinking water and that our agriculture industries around the Lake have the adequate water for their crops to feed our state and our nation. Agriculture is one of the three largest drivers to Florida’s economy and any negative impact to agriculture will affect the entire state’s economy. Many of those families have farmed for generations and a Lake regulation schedule that does not take into account their legitimate needs would harm Floridians.”

“Ensuring that American farmers have an advantage over foreign competition and are not burdened by counterproductive federal regulations is vital for Florida’s agricultural industry. My team and I will continue to advocate for Florida’s farmers and ranchers as they navigate these challenges moving forward.”

“Okeechobee County’s priorities like telehealth expansion, water quality issues, and public health have remained major focuses for our team, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was honored to update the Chamber this morning on what we are doing at the federal level to advance these priorities and protect our values.”

“It is our responsibility to help our farmers, ranchers and producers as they work to feed families here in Florida and across the country, especially while they struggle with the effects of COVID-19 and unfair foreign competition. These initiatives will help all of those in the agriculture industry from farm to table, including laborers, commercial growers and producers, and agriculture transportation workers.”

“Florida agriculture is the backbone of our State’s economy, yet our farmers, ranchers, and producers have suffered from Mexico’s trade-distorting practices for far too long. Though we still have more progress to make, this is an important first step towards empowering our farmers and prioritizing the dire needs of our agriculture communities.”

“For too long, Florida farmers of fresh produce have suffered from Mexico’s unreasonable trade-distorting practices. Seasonal produce is vital to the state of Florida, which ranks as the largest producer of many seasonal and perishable products in the country. The Florida fruit and vegetable industry is especially vital to the health of my Congressional District, and I am proud to represent the largest citrus-producing district in the nation and many other growers of nutritious, seasonal produce.”

“Agriculture is the lifeblood of Florida and a crucial component of our economy, bringing food to the tables of millions of families across America. At a time when producers and growers are already suffering, we should not be giving foreign producers an unfair advantage over American producers. This will only exacerbate the challenges our farmers are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“The market volatility and losses for the meat industry have been unprecedented and devastating. As we continue to watch the long-term effects on agriculture, we will respond appropriately to our farmers and ranchers here in Florida.”

“As farmers and ranchers in Florida and across the country are struggling to cope with the decreased demand for their products as a result of the economic shutdowns, more than ever we need to put America first and cannot give foreign entities a competitive advantage. Communist China is responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent economic damages that have impacted our nation’s farmers, and now they are trying to profit off of our hardship.

“Part of USDA’s larger response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Farmers to Families Food Box Program will help farmers move product while benefitting our local food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits. Florida is an important part of the nation’s food supply chain, and our jobs will quickly come back from this crisis thanks to Secretary Perdue and President Trump’s hard work.”

“The Farmers to Families Food Box Program not only helps our famers in need, but it also benefits the families struggling to put food on the table in a time of crisis. Agriculture is the lifeblood of our economy and I look forward to joining Secretary Perdue in Florida to support this program.”

“My district is home to some of the largest cattle ranches in the nation, and they have been suffering from price declines since mid-March. With prices still not recovering, the USDA should expand the cut-off for CFAP coverage to promote the agricultural industry and protect our farmers.”