Many farm groups are praising Friday?s House approval of the bipartisan infrastructure package.
By a 228-206 vote late Friday, the U.S. House passed a Senate-approved $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes $550 billion in new money. A larger spending and tax bill was delayed.
The National Corn Growers Association says the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes funding important to corn growers, including $17.3 billion for the nation?s ports and inland waterways and $2 billion specifically for rural broadband access. New spending in the bill is paid for through unused COVID relief funds, bonds and extensions of various government fees, and the bill does not include tax increases for individuals or farms.
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said that while he was disappointed with the unnecessary delays in the House of Representatives, Farm Bureau appreciates Congress finally passing crucial bipartisan infrastructure legislation.
The bipartisan infrastructure plan, which has already passed the Senate, will head to the president to be signed into law. Other groups praising its passage include the Iowa Soybean Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, as well as USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Meanwhile, reports say a bigger fight continues after another vote delay on the Biden Build Back Better budget, which is opposed by the American Farm Bureau. Duvall previously stated he fears increased corporate, individual, and other taxes will be passed along to farmers.
?So those taxes will roll back to the farm, and it will be very expensive for us to be able to handle the increase in costs, because we already have tremendous increased costs, every individual in America?s paying more for everything. But if we do this, it?s going to be a real big burden on farmers and ranchers, because all that?s going to roll back to their expense line.?
The budget bill has approximately $88 billion for ag research, infrastructure including biofuels, conservation, forestry and debt relief.
