Peace Garden News

Senator John Hoeven addressed the North Dakota Farmers Union state convention, emphasizing his ongoing efforts to support farmers and ranchers in North Dakota. As a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, Hoeven is actively collaborating with his Senate colleagues and the incoming Trump administration to provide relief for those impacted by natural disasters and difficult market conditions.

Hoeven highlighted his work to secure disaster assistance through a Continuing Resolution package that includes $12 billion for economic losses and $16 billion for weather-related assistance. He urged members of the North Dakota Farmers Union and agriculture stakeholders nationwide to promote this priority with Congress members.

In addition, Hoeven discussed passing a strong farm bill aimed at bolstering the farm safety net, advocating for pro-growth tax policies that benefit farmers, ranchers, and agri-businesses. These policies include maintaining a competitive tax rate, Section 199A benefits for cooperatives and pass-through businesses, preserving stepped-up basis for assets, eliminating the death tax, and allowing bonus depreciation on qualified property like farm equipment.

"We continue working to provide meaningful disaster relief for American farmers and ranchers," said Hoeven. "The ag disaster assistance package we’re working to advance as part of the CR is critical to get farm country through these hard times, and we need the help of groups like North Dakota Farmers Union to get it done."

Hoeven also emphasized reducing regulatory burdens on farmers while protecting private property rights. Furthermore, he continues efforts to extend the farm bill as part of year-end legislation. This extension would allow more time to address essential priorities such as enhancing crop insurance affordability per his FARMER Act, improving counter-cyclical safety nets like ARC and PLC programs by adjusting reference prices according to current market realities, ensuring access to credit through modernized FSA loan limits, strengthening livestock disaster programs like LIP, LFP, ELAP with permanent improvements aligning coverage between LFP and ELAP.

Hoeven advocates making these programs voluntary and farmer-friendly rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.