Rep. Gabe Vasquez Leads Group on Agriculture Committee Urging Congressional Leadership to Pass Bipartisan Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, September 11, U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez (N.M.-02) and Andrea Salinas (O.R.-06) led the House Agriculture Committee Democrats’ effort to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports families and farmers. In the letter to House and Senate leadership signed by 21 Committee members, Vasquez emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive Farm Bill that protects vital nutrition programs and strengthens support for the agricultural industry in New Mexico and across the country.

“Families and farmers across New Mexico and the nation have been clear—they need stability and leadership, not delays and partisan political bickering. A strong agricultural sector is necessary for our nation’s food security and national security. House Agriculture Committee leaders need to act now to deliver a bipartisan Farm Bill,” said Vasquez. “I come from an agriculture community, a family of ranchers, and I’ve spent my entire term working on bipartisan solutions to fund traditional Farm Bill programs. After recent meetings with families who rely on nutrition programs in my district, it’s clear to me that our nation needs a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports SNAP, feeds our families and supports farmers, ranchers and producers.”

House Agriculture Republicans’ current extreme, anti-family version of Farm Bill has no path to the President’s Desk. Their partisan approach cuts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for hungry families in New Mexico by $340 million. Right now, one in four children are food insecure in New Mexico’s second congressional district. The letter calls on House and Senate leadership on both sides of the aisle to come together to do what is right for American farmers and families.

On the House Agriculture Committee, Vasquez is a strong advocate for New Mexico’s agricultural industry and food assistance programs. Last year, he formed an Agriculture Advisory Group composed of agricultural leaders from across the district to guide his work in Congress and ensure New Mexico’s farmers, ranchers and producers have a voice in Washington. 

The letter comes following Vasquez’s recent meeting with Roadrunner Food Bank and Rio Grande Food Project in Albuquerque to discuss food insecurity that many families in the area are facing. They talked about the importance of passing a Farm Bill that protects and expands critical nutrition programs, such as SNAP, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). 

Vasquez is committed to fighting for hard-working families and ensuring they are able to put food on the table. He continues to fight for a Farm Bill that addresses the unique needs of New Mexico’s rural and urban communities, from protecting SNAP benefits to supporting farmers, ranchers and producers. 

Full text of the letter is available here.

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