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Michigan Senator Slotkin pushes for farm bill as President Trump weighs in

A Democratic member of the U.S. Senate Ag Committee says she hopes President Trump’s recent call to pass a farm bill can bring legislation forward.

Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin says, “The president last week tweeted, ‘Hey, we need a farm bill,’ and we were like, welcome to the party!”

“Yes, we need a farm bill,” she stresses. “I think it was because the Farm Bureau was in town.”

Speaking during a roundtable with farmers and chefs in Detroit on Monday, Slotkin expressed frustration with the growing divide between lawmakers when farmers need action.

“Our farmers are living through incredible instability right now and the inability to plan,” she shares.

Slotkin says a bipartisan farm bill is desperately needed, and Chairman John Boozman needs to release a draft.

“Maybe my Senate colleagues will actually move to work on a farm bill, and we want to surge in with the things that we need,” she says. “The farming community has a strong voice in this administration, and we want to use that for good.”

Slotkin says the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could push food and transportation costs higher this summer.

Slotkin says the next farm bill should strengthen local food supply chains and nutrition programs to support farmers and protect national food security.