On Monday, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, praised the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its decision to release approximately $191 million for Washington state farmers who lost their crops due to natural disasters in 2020 and 2021.
“Last year’s extreme heat wave and drought was devastating for our farmers and ranchers — in the face of a worsening climate crisis, the federal government needs to step up for the Washington state growers and producers who keep our shelves stocked … I’m glad we could bring back some badly-needed federal dollars to help our farmers and ranchers during a really tough time. I will always have the backs of Washington state farmers who keep food on our tables and our families fed,” Murray said.
According to Murray’s statement, the financial aid followed a “bipartisan, bicameral effort” Murray led seeking to convince Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack “to take into account all statutory eligibility for these funds so that Pacific Northwest farming operations impacted by severe weather events got a fair cut.”
Murray’s statement adds that last September the senator assisted in passing a law containing $10 billion for assisting “agricultural producers impacted by wildfires, droughts, extreme heat, smoke exposure, hurricanes, floods, winter storms and other eligible disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021.”
