U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) recently joined 21 of his colleagues to introduce a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Emergency Relief Program, which provides federal funds to agricultural producers whose crops were impacted by wildfires, drought, hurricanes, derechos, freeze, excessive heat, and other qualifying natural disasters.
“The Emergency Relief Program is a necessary resource for central Washington farmers as they continue to recover from this year’s late spring, which significantly impacted tree fruit production,” said Rep. Newhouse on Aug. 4. “I am pleased to introduce this legislation and encourage my colleagues to support this important program that will provide much-needed assistance to central Washington’s growers so they can continue producing the high-quality Washington crops Americans enjoy for many years to come.”
The Emergency Relief Program Reauthorization Act of 2022, which was also introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), would authorize appropriations to carry out payments for qualified losses of covered crops occurring in calendar year 2022, among other purposes, according to the text of the bill.
In a statement, Rep. Thompson said that communities in his district and across the country also have been devastated by natural disasters, including wildfires and drought.
“That’s why I am proud to work with a bipartisan group of my colleagues to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Emergency Relief Program,” he said. “As we continue to deal with the impact of climate change, I am committed to ensuring that all producers and growers have the resources they need to offset their losses.”
The bill has been endorsed by the National Farmers Union, according to the lawmakers.