Agriculture

Today, over 300 agriculture groups sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in support of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill spearheaded by Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01). The bipartisan effort was negotiated over several months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations and was introduced with the support of 26 Democrats and 23 Republicans.

Congressman Diaz-Balart received the “Friend of Farm Bureau” award from the Florida Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation for his work to support America’s farmers and ranchers. Diaz-Balart, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, secured federal funding to help Florida’s agriculture industry recover after the 2017 hurricane season, which devastated farms, groves, and ranches across the state.

Congressman Diaz-Balart joined Congressmen Curbelo and Lawson Jr. as an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Trade Agriculture Improvement Act.

Congressman Diaz-Balart, a member of the House Specialty Crops Caucus, issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Florida was a recipient of $4.35 million through its Specialty Crop Block Grant program.

Congressman Diaz-Balart issued the following statement after the Hendry County School District was awarded an $196,000 Rural Business Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).