Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment of Public Works (EPW) Committee, joined Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Jon Tester (D-MT) on a bipartisan letter urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to address a gap in coverage under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). In September, USDA announced it would provide ELAP assistance for the cost of transporting feed to livestock, but producers who are transporting their livestock to feed are not eligible for the program.
“We continue to hear from producers who have been severely affected by drought this year and have incurred costs related to transporting their livestock to feed sources instead of hauling feed to their livestock,” the senators wrote. “Under current regulations, these producers are not eligible for ELAP transportation assistance. We respectfully request that FSA exercise its authority to further improve ELAP by providing payments to producers for a portion of the costs they have incurred from transporting their livestock to feed sources.”
Senators Cramer, Thune, and Tester are joined on the letter by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Tina Smith (D- MN).