North Dakota’s congressional delegation is calling for changes they say could help struggling farmers.
In an open letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, 22 members of Congress — including Representative Julie Fedorchak — are asking for “regulatory clarity” and fewer federal rules they say limit competition in agriculture. The group wants the USDA and Justice Department to identify regulations that hinder farmers and ranchers, with a response requested by mid-February.
Separately, Senator John Hoeven is pushing to expand federal farm assistance. He’s calling for more support on top of the $12 billion in bridge payments already set to go out later this month, saying the added help is needed to get producers through another difficult year of high costs.
The requests come as North Dakota agriculture leaders warn farmers continue to face a challenging economic outlook.