Iowa Senator focuses on farmers

By Andi Anderson

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has outlined her top priorities for Iowa's farmers in the upcoming Farm Bill. These priorities include:

Strengthening the Farm Safety Net: Ernst is committed to bolstering commodity programs and strengthening crop insurance to provide Iowa's farmers with the support they need. She believes that these programs are critical to the success of Iowa's agriculture industry.

• Increasing Rural Economic Development: Ernst is working to increase access to credit, grants, and loans for Iowa's rural communities to improve infrastructure, including rural broadband. She believes that this will help to stimulate economic growth and create jobs in rural Iowa.
• Bolstering Innovation and Security in Agriculture: Ernst is committed to strengthening food security by protecting American farmland and preventing intellectual property theft. She is also working to expand cybersecurity resources and prohibit adversaries from purchasing farmland in the United States.
• Conserving Farmland and Natural Resources: Ernst believes that farmers are the best stewards of our land and our environment. She is working to conserve farmland and protect natural resources using commonsense approaches rather than big government mandates.
• Ensuring American Energy Independence: Ernst is committed to an all-of-the-above energy approach that includes expanding access to biofuels, locking in year-round E-15, increasing biofuel production capacity, and supporting the infrastructure that Iowa's farmers rely on.

Ernst believes that these priorities will help to ensure that Iowa's agriculture industry continues to be a vital part of the state's economy. She is committed to working with her colleagues in Congress to pass a Farm Bill that reflects these priorities.