By Jamie Martin
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has called on Congress to act with urgency as American farmers face growing financial hardship. Addressing the Senate Agriculture Committee, she said the combination of low farm income, high costs, and a government shutdown has created an agricultural emergency.
Hyde-Smith said that many rural communities are unaware of how serious the situation has become. She warned that if Congress does not approve immediate support, the nation could lose both family farms and the rural economies that depend on them.
While recognizing earlier market loss assistance and improvements in commodity pricing, she said those measures are not enough. She urged her colleagues to pass new “bridge” funding to help farmers plant their next crops and maintain operations through the year.
The Senator expressed hope that bipartisan negotiations on the new Farm Bill will lead to lasting progress. She emphasized the need for fair trade deals and stronger market access to protect U.S. competitiveness, warning that foreign rivals are advancing quickly in agricultural exports.
Hyde-Smith also highlighted her Buying American Cotton Act (S.1919), designed to boost the domestic cotton industry. The bill would provide tax credits for U.S.-made cotton products, strengthen the supply chain, and reduce reliance on imports linked to forced labor and environmental damage.
“In this world of global competition, we must revive American-grown cotton to be the center of our supply chains, providing reliable markets for our producers and bolstering industries that depend on cotton,” said Hyde-Smith. “I introduced the Buying American Cotton Act to help get us there by incentivizing U.S. retailers to produce, purchase, and manufacture American cotton here at home. This legislation would help secure a resilient, self-reliant, and prosperous cotton industry for the future by reinforcing our supply chain – from farm to textile to market – and by reducing our reliance on cotton produced under forced labor practices and environmental destruction.”
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