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Dear Friend,
This week, Congress is away from Washington as we prepare for what’s expected to be a busy spring in session. We continue to monitor the ongoing invasion of Ukraine while preparing to receive the President’s Budget for the upcoming fiscal year, next week. Our office continues to push forward solutions to help control rising prices and will be honoring our farmers, ranchers, and producers this week during National Agriculture Week.
As always, read on to learn more about what we’re doing to support Minnesota’s Sixth District in Congress…
Losing a titan, the Dean of the House
On Friday, our nation lost a great leader when Representative Don Young passed away after serving as Alaska’s at-large Representative in the House for 49 years. Don understood that his role in Congress was a great privilege and served the people of Alaska with his trademark grit. He was a legend around the halls of Congress: his office, full of his hunting trophies, was a landmark in the Capitol.
Don was a formidable force in the House, and a great mentor and friend. I’ll cherish the time I was able to spend with him, recalling my days at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. When I return to Washington next week, his face will be one of the first I see; a photo of the two of us has long been proudly displayed in my office on Capitol Hill. The House simply won’t be the same without Don, and he will be missed.
Updates from Ukraine’s fight for democracy
Every day, we see painful footage coming from Ukraine as the Ukrainian people continue their fight against Russian invaders. Between reports that Russia has used hypersonic missiles to stories of pointed attacks against innocent Ukrainian men, women and children, the world has been fixated on the tragic events unfolding in Eastern Europe.
In Congress, we have kept a close eye on this evolving crisis. Last week, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addressed members of the House and Senate. His message was heartbreaking, but clear: the Ukrainian people are suffering, and they need our help.
His words didn’t fall on deaf ears. Right now, we are mobilizing to send lifesaving supplies and critical weapons to Ukraine. Earlier this month, I supported legislation to provide additional resources and aid to Ukraine. This funding will go towards a combination of military aid and support for refugees escaping the Russian invasion.
We have also been working to ensure that donations of critical supplies like ammunition are able to make it to those fighting in Ukraine without delay. Last week, I announced that the Anoka-based Vista Outdoors, which includes the Federal, CCI, Remington and Speer ammunition brands, would be able to successfully donate one million rounds of ammunition to Ukrainian forces. My office worked closely with the Departments of State and Commerce to expedite these donations, which are now en-route to Ukraine. Last week, I also cosponsored the American Ammo in Defense of Ukraine Act. This bill, led by my colleagues, Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN), will simplify the donation process to help American ammunition reach Ukrainian forces when they need it most.
The Ukrainian people are in a fight for their lives. These types of donations will help defend their families and their country from Putin’s invasion.
Celebrating National Agriculture Week
This week marks National Agriculture Week, when we recognize the important work of America’s farmers and producers. We’ve got some exciting events lined up (keep an eye on my social media to learn more) but before the fun, we must recognize the enormous challenges that our ag community is facing.
Just like every household in America, our farmers are paying skyrocketing prices. Inflated costs on essential items like feed for livestock and fertilizer for crops mean that they are paying more to keep their farms afloat, and commodity prices haven’t kept pace. Read below for more information on government programs that can help address these challenges and remember, my casework team can be a valuable resource for farmers having trouble with the U.S. Department of Agriculture or other federal agencies.
Second Disaster Set-Aside (DSA) for Farm Loans
Permits a second DSA for COVID-19 and a second DSA for natural disaster for those who had an initial COVID-19 DSA
Deadline: May 1, 2022
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – Grassland Signup
Helps landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland and pastureland and certain other lands, while maintain the areas as working grazing lands
Deadline: May 13, 2022
Reach out to your local USDA Service Center to learn more about all available programs, and programs that have local or state level deadlines.
Farm Loan Flexibilities
To assist with loan-making activities that are critical for annual operation and family living expenses, term investments for equipment and livestock, emergency needs, and cash flow, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency expanded flexibilities to help producers with credit options, including
- Where not legally prohibited, FSA will accept FAX’d or scanned signatures from customers and lenders.
- FSA will follow the most current state or local guidance for use of online or virtual notary services.
FSA is currently relaxing the loan-making process and adding flexibilities for servicing direct and guaranteed loans to provide credit to producers in need.
Additionally, USDA has temporarily suspended non-judicial foreclosures, debt offsets or wage garnishments, and referring foreclosures to the Department of Justice. USDA is working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to stop judicial foreclosures and evictions on accounts that were previously referred to the Department of Justice.
USDA extended deadlines for producers to respond to loan servicing actions, including loan deferral consideration for financially distressed and delinquent borrowers. In addition, for the Guaranteed Loan program, flexibilities have been made available to lenders to assist in servicing their customers.
Should we keep Daylight Savings Time permanently?
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Upcoming tax filing deadlines…
The federal tax filing deadline is just around the corner. Whether or not you’ve begun to file your taxes, this year’s process might present more confusion than years past. You can find resources to guide your filing process on my website here. For larger questions and concerns, my casework team stands ready to help. You can contact them here or by calling my Otsego office at (763) 241-6848.
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Until next week, if you are in need of assistance or would like to share your thoughts with me, please write me an e-mail here.
To keep up with what we’re doing in Washington, follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more updates!
Sincerely,
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