U.S Senator John Hoeven speaks about National Farm Bill with members of the Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo Chamber of Commerce

(Fargo, ND) -- U.S Senator John Hoeven spoke at the Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning with agricultural leaders from across North Dakota.

The Senator spoke about the need to pass a farm bill that maintains crop insurance and updates the counter-cyclical safety net. Senator Hoeven says besides those two critical pieces, the Red River Valley greatly benefits from supporting the U.S Sugar Policy, and would like to place more emphasis on supporting sugar producers in the region. Without these provisions, Senator Hoeven says the Farm Bill will not pass this year, saying it is a "50/50" chance. 

“Through hard work, innovation and a positive business climate, North Dakota remains a global leader in agriculture. That’s a win not only for our economy, but for every American who benefits from the lowest-cost, highest-quality food supply in the world,” said Hoeven. “Food security is central to our quality of life and not something we can take for granted. Today’s meeting is about maintaining good farm policy, giving our farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses a voice in the process and delivering the tools they need to continue succeeding.”

There are some items that Senator Hoeven would like to see changed in the next farm bill if necessary. This includes work requirement provisions on benefits provided to millions of Americans. He says this is especially true for SNAP benefits, but also expressed support for adding work requirements to Medicare and Medicaid. However, Senator Hoeven expressed the need for exceptions for people who are unable to work, like for people who are "old and infirm."