Peace Garden News

The U.S. Senate has passed a continuing resolution to extend government funding and authorize a one-year extension of the farm bill. The resolution, which aims to prevent a government shutdown, was approved by an 85 to 11 vote in the Senate and a 366 to 34 vote in the House of Representatives.

Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) expressed his support for the legislation but criticized the process: “While the passage of the bill is obviously important to avoid a government shutdown and of course to pass some priorities for North Dakota, it had better be the last time we do it this way. This is not how you should run the legislative branch and our constituents deserve a lot better than this incompetence and this dysfunction that we’ve seen these last few days and hours. I look forward to new leadership in Congress when Republicans become the majority in the Senate and Donald Trump occupies the White House.”

The resolution includes several provisions aimed at supporting farmers and providing disaster aid. It extends the 2018 Farm Bill for another year, allowing Congress additional time to work on an updated version that offers an adequate safety net for farmers. The extension maintains crucial commodity programs, trade facilitation initiatives, and specialty crop block grants.

Significant financial relief is allocated for farmers affected by natural disasters over recent years. Nearly $31 billion is authorized for agricultural aid, including $21 billion dedicated to emergency relief due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. Additional funds are set aside for livestock losses, farmland rehabilitation, flood damage repair, rural infrastructure rebuilding, and disaster recovery efforts.

In response to severe weather events such as Hurricanes Milton and Helen, as well as other natural disasters like flooding and wildfires, $100 billion has been designated for disaster relief assistance. This includes nearly $29 billion directed towards FEMA's disaster relief fund, along with allocations for highway repairs and business recovery loans.

National defense provisions within the legislation focus on bolstering naval capabilities. Funding supports both Virginia-class submarine programs with nearly $5.7 billion allocated toward workforce improvements across nuclear-powered vessel programs. Additionally, substantial resources are directed towards Columbia-class submarines' procurement efforts.