Amazon to create 1,500 jobs at Alabama fulfillment center
Internet retail giant Amazon confirmed plans today to open a fulfillment center in Jefferson County with 1,500 full-time employees working alongside advanced robotics technology. Amazon will build the 855,000-square-foot facility on 133 acres of property being purchased from U.S. Steel off Powder Plant Road in Bessemer, just minutes away from Birmingham. Investment in the project is expected to be $325 million. The Seattle, Washington-based company confirmed its plans for the Alabama facility today in an announcement that said the project is moving forward, following a series of public meetings with local governments. “We are thrilled to bring our first fulfillment center to the state of Alabama, creating 1,500 full-time jobs,” said Mark Stewart, Amazon’s vice president of North America customer fulfillment. “Alabama has a talented workforce and we look forward to making a positive economic impact in a state where we are committed to providing great job opportunities and an exceptional customer experience.” Employees at the Bessemer facility will work with technology created by Amazon Robotics to pick, pack and ship items to the company’s customers. “Amazon is one of the world’s most dynamic companies, and we couldn’t be more proud to see the company select Alabama for one of its high-tech fulfillment centers,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “This facility represents good jobs for our citizens and the beginning of a long partnership that I believe will see Amazon expand and grow in Alabama in the future.” Significant impact An analysis projects that the Amazon fulfillment center will generate a significant economic impact on Jefferson County and Alabama. The center will contribute $203 million to the county’s economic output annually, while adding $123 million to the county’s GDP, according to the study prepared by the Center for Business and Economic Research in the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business. The facility will contribute $232 million to Alabama’s economic output each year and add $137 million to the state’s GDP, the study says. Bessemer Mayor Kenneth Gulley said the Amazon project represents the largest single private investment in the city’s 131-year history. As an added bonus, the company has pledged to create a tuition-assistance program for its workforce. “Amazon is bringing jobs and opportunity to our residents and students. I am particularly proud of the educational incentives Amazon will offer our young people: Get your high school diploma, work one year and receive $3,000 the next four years toward furthering your education,” he said. Growing tech jobs Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said Amazon’s project perfectly aligns with a strategic emphasis to facilitate the growth of tech jobs across the state. “Amazon’s new fulfillment center in Bessemer will create a large number of high-quality jobs and feature cutting-edge automation and technological innovation,” Canfield said. “We’ve made recruiting technology-focused jobs a priority, and Amazon’s presence in the state will help us advance toward our goal.” This is Amazon’s second project in Alabama. In June 2017, the company announced plans for a $30 million “sortation center” in Mobile to accelerate delivery of online purchases. The facility will have 1,000 part-time workers during peak periods. Lee Smith, chairman of the Birmingham Business Alliance, said the successful recruitment of Amazon’s fulfillment center in Bessemer stemmed from a team effort that included a number of economic development agencies, utilities, transportation departments and others. “Amazon’s investment in our community is a big win for the Birmingham region,” Smith said. “This state-of-the-art facility will be able to accommodate an expanding workforce and a changing economy as Amazon continues to prepare for its future.” Amazon said full-time employees receive competitive hourly wages and a comprehensive benefits package, including health care, 401(k) and company stock awards starting on day one. Amazon also offers generous maternity and parental leave benefits and access to innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will prepay up to 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. Since the program’s launch, more than 16,000 employees have pursued degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, to name a few. Republished with the permission of the Alabama Newscenter.
In the runoffs for Attorney General and Lt. Governor the gloves have come off
There’s a lot at stake in the statewide runoffs. If you didn’t realize that, then you clearly haven’t been reading the news or listening to the radio where the fight for conservatism and against corruption is so ridiculous that you’d think all four candidates in both races have, at one time or another, now or in the past, lost their minds. In the race for Lt. Governor the fight over who’s more like President Donald Trump and who’s the insider our outsider is almost comedic. Both Twinkle Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth have solid conservative records to stand on and be proud of, so why are radio ads playing that suggest otherwise? For the love of all that’s holy. Run on your own records: Twinkle has “Right Sized” the PSC. She has cut the budget. She has improved transparency, she’s made herself available to constituents throughout her tenure. Oh and she’s a rocking strong female, as we discussed when we named her when we did one of our sites first profiles of Women of Influence. Will, well he stood up to Governor Robert Bentley and led the coalition to stop tax increases. I got a call the day he did it from another member saying he rallied the caucus to stop the increases. I reached out to him May 13, 2015 via text (I know this because I don’t delete anything and the text is still on my phone) and he didn’t want to go on record as one of the few people who stood toe-to-toe with Speaker Mike Hubbard and ultimately tank the deal. He wanted all the members who stood together to be credited not look like a hero. He’s talking about his efforts in more modest terms on the stump or so I heard when we both addressed the Azalea Women Republican club last week. Here’s the story I wrote back then, Change of hearts, change of calendar: Tax increases pulled from floor. I start the article noting, “Well, I’ll be! It looks like someone breathed new life (read: reason) into the House GOP and some members (word is it’s a strong group of freshmen) decided to stand up against the impending vote for tax increases.” That my friends was Will Ainsworth. As a voter I’d be happy to hear real, fact based criticism of him but don’t tell me he’s not a true conservative. I’m not buying that and his record doesn’t demonstrate it. If Alabama had the equivalent of the House Freedom Caucus Will would be a leader in it. As for the Attorney General race, what the what the what is happening there? Can both sides please just focus on the job at hand? The sideshow of who’s traveling where and who is taking money from whom tells me nothing about how you’d serve as attorney general. Both candidates should be able to articulate that much about themselves — seeing as how they’ve both held the position for a least some decent period of time. I could go into details on this one but what I want is some civility and substance from both sides. Ready. Set. Go! We’ll keep covering the races in all of their bloodied up glory, but come on folks. Give us some content that shows you’re capable of doing the job you’re trying to win. Oh and don’t expect us to turn a blind eye and not call B.S. when you and your campaign peddle in B.S. Voters deserve better.
Did Yellowhammer founder Cliff Sims get fired from the White House? That’s what IAP is saying
In 2017, Alabama’s own Cliff Sims was plucked from relative obscurity, running a statewide political blog, and given a plum job in the Donald Trump campaign and later White House where he served as special assistant to the president overseeing White House messaging strategy. News broke in May that Sims left the White House for a “promotion” at the State Department. But Inside Alabama Politics (IAP) on Friday revealed they discovered Sims was not promoted, but rather fired by the White House, and was never offered a new gig. IAP reported: The world can rest easier knowing Cliff Sims is not at the side of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, advising him during the negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other foreign matters. Especially since Sims, a 34-year old Enterprise native and former lead singer for a rock band called Moses, has zero foreign affairs experience. Politico reported Sims was officially offered a job working closely with Secretary Pompeo, however Sims was never offered a job, according to several sources. … A Senate insider familiar with Sim’s White House departure who spoke to IAP on the condition they remain anonymous said, “Cliff was fired, but it wasn’t the football incident, also reported by Politico, that got him fired, it was the leaks coming from the communications office. The leaks he was providing to some in the media.” Some also expect it was Sims, identified only as a White House junior aide, in a New York Times article last month, who allegedly taped meetings with the President and played those recordings to impress friends. Alabama Today has reached out to both Sims and the White House for confirmation. We will update this story accordingly should either respond.
AL.com tries to follow Troy King’s money; finds dead-ends, leaves many questions
Former Alabama Attorney General and current Republican Attorney General candidate, Troy King has found himself in the headlines this week for his campaign donations. His opponent Steve Marshall‘s campaign has been working overtime pushing details from his campaign finance report to discredit his assertion that he won’t take gaming money. AL.com took an in-depth look at King’s donations and found that while he says he will not accept donations from gambling interests, he has “has taken about $90,000 from five South Carolina companies and individuals with links to gaming, records show.” According to the report, one of the major South Carolina donors, Keith Gray, is involved in the gambling business, with one of his businesses being prosecuted in 2017 b the state of Alabama. King does not deny taking money from Gray’s company, but did not comment to AL.com on Gray’s ties to gambling groups. When Alabama Today reached out to King’s campaign to ask about taking money from gaming, they denied it; “Troy King has not accepted donations from gaming,” a representative from his campaign said. They went on to point a finger a Marshall, saying he’s accepted gaming money from various organizations. “Steve Marshall has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from organizations like BCA which is largely comprised of Indian gaming money, from RAGA which is full of Las Vegas gambling money and has accepted a trip to Africa from CWAG which is sponsored by corporations including Caesars Entertainment which is one of the largest operators of Las Vegas casinos,” added the King campaign. Muddled contributions from potential straw donors Perhaps the most alarming news from AL.com’s report (and wholly overlooked by their own reporter who noted it almost as an aside) is that of the donation from Gray’s wife, Phyllis. King’s campaign received $15,000 from her, but when AL.com asked about the donation, “she said she had never heard of Troy King and did not care about the Alabama election.” While easy to gloss over, straw donations — making a political contribution in another person’s name or agreeing to be the named donor with someone else’s money to evade campaign finance limits— is against state and federal laws. In fact, it’s what conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza pleaded guilty to in 2014. Ultimately the court sentenced him to five years probation, eight months in a halfway house (referred to as a “community confinement center”) and a $30,000 fine. President Donald Trump recently pardoned D’Souza saying he had been unfairly treated by the justice system under the Obama Administration. That said, Alabama Today spoke to the King campaign about said donation and got a very different response. “The check from Phyllis Gray was received via mail to the Troy King campaign mailbox,” said a representative from King’s campaign to Alabama Today. “Phyllis and her husband, Keith, are longtime friends of Troy King. We are unsure of who the Phyllis Gray is that the reporter at AL.com claims to have spoken with but we have been in touch with the Gray’s that donated to the campaign this afternoon and they have assured Troy that they have and continue to support him.” King’s history with gambling King says he’s a strong opponent to gambling. During his time as Attorney General, not only did he introduce anti-gambling legislation every year of his time in public office, he also prosecuted several electronic gambling sites, opposed a gambling expansion for the Native American tribes in Alabama, and even requested that the United States Department of the Interior deny the Poarch Band of Creek Indian’s application to broaden their gambling operations in the state. Back in 2013, he filed a series of gambling-related patents with the U.S. Patent office. When questioned about them by AL.com’s John Archibald, “King said he filed the patents simply on behalf of a client. He said he has no financial interest in any of them, and reiterated that “I don’t have anything to do with it.” This practice is common for lawyers, but the appearance hasn’t stopped his opponent from attempting to use it against him in what has turned into a runoff focused on attacks. This story was updated at 2:40 p.m. CT with additional comments from Troy King’s campaign.
Mo Brooks pitches Redstone Arsenal for Donald Trump’s new Space Command
Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks wants Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal to be the home of the President Donald Trump‘s new Space Force. Brooks made the suggestion Friday morning when he participated in a joint hearing entitled “Space Situational Awareness: Whole of Government Perspectives on Roles and Responsibilities,” before the Space Subcommittee of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, of which Brooks is Vice-Chair, and the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, of which Brooks is a member. During the hearing, Brooks took the opportunity to opportunity to tell his influential peers of the suggestion. “Forgive me for diverging from the primary focus of this hearing, but it occurs to me that each of you has significant persuasive influence on where the new space command will be headquartered, so I am going to touch on that for a moment,” said Brooks. “In that vein, I hope you will help make Redstone Arsenal a finalist in the space command headquarters debate. Redstone Arsenal has a lot to offer.” Transcription of Brooks’ opening monologue: Forgive me for diverging from the primary focus of this hearing, but it occurs to me that each of you has significant persuasive influence on where the new space command will be headquartered, so I am going to touch on that for a moment. In that vein, I hope you will help make Redstone Arsenal a finalist in the space command headquarters debate. Redstone Arsenal has a lot to offer. We have related to space command— either related a lot or related a little— the following space command activities: United States Army Aviation and Missile Command; Aviation and Missile Research Developmental and Engineering Center; PEO Missiles and Space; United States Army Space and Missile Command; Army Forces Strategic Command; United State Missile Defense Agency; Defense Intelligence Agency’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center; NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which is the home and birthplace of America’s space program; a wealth of intellectual talent; engineers, we have the highest concentration of engineers in the United States of America; physicists; mathematicians; scientists. In conclusion, I hope you will concur that Redstone Arsenal and space command seem like an excellent fit.
Pro-life group warns voters against Walt Maddox: he’s ‘unwilling to fight to defend the unborn’
An Alabama pro-life group, Alabama Citizens for Life, is warning pro-life voters about voting for Walt Maddox in the November general election saying he is “entirely unwilling to fight to defend the unborn or oppose his party’s radical pro-choice agenda.” On Thursday the group sent out a news release claiming Maddox is “charading” as a pro-lifer and that if elected, Alabama babies who make it to 22 weeks could lose their legal protection of the right to their lives. The group also compares Maddox to Alabama’s newly elected senator Doug Jones. During his campaign for U.S. Senate, Jones went on record saying “the law for decades has been that late-term procedures are generally restricted except in the case of medical necessity. That’s what I support.” However, when H.R. 36: The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act came before the U.S. Senate for a vote to be brought to the floor, Jones voted against it, essentially killing the bill. “When it comes to protecting innocent human life, you either have a track record like Governor Kay Ivey or you have campaign promises like Doug Jones,” said the release. “All you will get is a candidate who falls in line with the entrenched and well financed pro-abortion lobby. Over the past several months, Democratic candidate for Governor Walt Maddox has been quick to label himself ‘pro-life’ but when pushed for more specifics, he evades the issue and calls it a ‘distraction.’” “The fact is Walt Maddox has refused to state he will support legislation that bans late term abortions, he will not commit to defunding Planned Parenthood, and he has repeatedly stated he will not try to fight any federal pro-abortion laws,” continued the release. “In other words, Maddox is entirely unwilling to fight to defend the unborn or oppose his party’s radical pro-choice agenda including abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy.If Maddox is elected, it becomes a reality that Alabama babies who make it to 22 weeks could lose their legal protection of the right to their lives.” The group warns pro-life voters to not be fooled by Maddox, saying that he’s using the term “pro-life” as campaign slogan, but will refuse any legislation to actually change any laws on abortion in the state.
Martha Roby: Summertime softball tradition benefits a worthy cause
One of my favorite traditions I’ve been able to participate in as a member of Congress is the Congressional Women’s Softball Game that takes place each summer. During the game, female members of Congress face members of the Washington, D.C., press corps in a friendly softball game to raise funds and awareness for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC). YSC is the premier global organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. The organization offers resources to help women feel supported and hopeful. Since 2009, the Congressional Women’s Softball Game has raised more than $1 million for YSC. Each year, players in the game honor real women who are battling cancer, defeated cancer, or lost their lives in the fight. This year, I was proud to play in honor of Courtney Pruitt, a Montgomery native and recent graduate of Alabama Christian Academy (ACA) who is currently undergoing intense treatment to fight leukemia. Courtney is a bright, intelligent, and beautiful young woman who played softball for most of her life. Shortly before she graduated from ACA this year, she received the heartbreaking diagnosis and is now courageously battling this disease. Courtney is the daughter of my dear friend, Montgomery City Councilman Glen Pruitt. It’s a true honor to be able to show my support for their family in this way, and I believe this annual tradition demonstrates what we can accomplish when we put our differences aside to rally for a worthy cause. Cancer is something few people ever think will happen to them, especially at an early age. I deeply admire the bravery of those, like Courtney, who fight this dreaded disease, and I’m glad to have opportunities like the Congressional Women’s Softball Game to raise awareness and support for cancer patients and survivors across the country. I believe that our government should do whatever possible to ease the burden on cancer patients and survivors during what I can only imagine would be a terribly frightening and trying time. One of my constituents in Alabama’s Second District recently brought to my attention that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) currently does not cover custom breast prosthetics for women who are either not candidates for reconstructive surgery or who do not prefer to endure additional surgery following a mastectomy. CMS only covers a reconstructive surgery, which is significantly more costly than custom prosthetics, or a prefabricated breast prosthetic. It is deeply concerning to me that CMS has taken this position, so I am gathering a coalition of members of Congress to request that they reconsider and modify this lack of coverage. I was proud to lead the charge on this on behalf of the many women who are living with breast cancer, those who have defeated it, and those who will be diagnosed in the future. Women who battle breast cancer should be given the options that work best for them and not be subjected to a one-size-fits-all approach. I am inspired by those who fight cancer of any kind, and I truly enjoyed participating in the Congressional Women’s Baseball Game again this year. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t hold out for the game, so the umpires called it while Team Press was leading. If the rain hadn’t ended things early, I know Team Congress would have made a comeback. Win, lose, or draw, it is my hope that the proceeds raised during this great event better the lives and outlooks of many women across our country who are bravely battling cancer. My even greater hope is that we will one day see this dreaded disease eradicated for good. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
BCA seeks to replace Billy Canary after several high-profile departures
The Business Council of Alabama says it’s looking for a new chief executive following a wave of high-profile departures. The Montgomery-based nonprofit issued a statement Thursday saying it will have a new leader to replace president and CEO Billy Canary no later than Jan. 1. The move comes after four of the state’s largest companies quit the organization, with some openly questioning its leadership. Alabama Power Co., Regions Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative all left the organization in recent days. The Montgomery Advertiser reports the moves came after the Business Council refused demands to remove Canary by Sept 1. Officials with the organization say they wanted an orderly transition to replace Canary, who’s run the business group since 2003. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Donald Trump endorses Martha Roby in AL-02 runoff despite 2016 snub
With less than a month before Alabama’s primary runoff elections, President Donald Trump has weighed-in on one of the most watched races: the battle for Alabama’s 2nd District between incumbent U.S. Rep. Martha Roby and former U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright. “Congresswoman Martha Roby of Alabama has been a consistent and reliable vote for our Make America Great Again Agenda,” Trump tweeted in the early hours of Friday morning. “She is in a Republican Primary run-off against a recent Nancy Pelosi voting Democrat. I fully endorse Martha for Alabama 2nd Congressional District!” Trump’s tweet is referencing the fact Roby’s opponent, Bright, previously represented the 2nd District as a Democrat and backed Pelosi for Speaker during his time on the Hill. Endorsement despite criticisms Roby found herself lambasted by the crowded field of challengers due her 2016 criticism of President Donald Trump after recordings of him making lewd comments were released during his campaign for president. Roby said then that Trump’s behavior “makes him unacceptable as a candidate for president” and suggested he step aside to let another Republican lead the presidential ticket. The runoff is the political price Roby has to pay for being one of the few Republicans in the Deep South state to speak out against the president. Trump however, clearly thinks Roby is the better choice despite her criticisms. Roby faces Bright on July 17 in the Republican primary runoff. The winner will most likely go on to win the soundly red district in November.
Alabama lawmakers, groups react to Farm Bill passage
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the 2018 Farm Bill Thursday afternoon by a 213-211 vote. The measure’s passage means the Senate will have its turn to consider the package in the coming weeks. The bill aims to support and sustain farmers and foresters by reauthorizing farm programs and directing the nation’s agricultural policy for the next five years. Among the many provisions of the bill: Includes provisions critically important to Alabama’s cotton and peanut farmers; Maintains access to crop insurance through reduced premiums and waived fees; Improves existing programs to maximize efficiency and reduce waste; Restores funding for trade promotion efforts in an attempt to keep pace with trading competitors around the world; Establishes substantive work requirements for work-capable adults; Increases funding to $60 million per year for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, with $20 million to be used for the Farm-to-Food Bank program providing inexpensive food for low-income families; Provides strong incentives for providers to offer quality broadband service to all of rural America; and Helps equip and train the next generation of farmers. Despite recent gains in manufacturing, Alabama remains an agriculture state. Farming, forestry, livestock and crop production represent more than $70 billion in annual economic output. Here’s what Alabama lawmakers and groups are saying about the passage of the bill: Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: Our farmers and foresters are good stewards of the land, and I am pleased the House could pass this important legislation to ensure that our family farms and rural communities have the resources they need to keep up with the challenges of today. Also important, the Farm Bill will encourage able-bodied adults to find jobs and get back to work by reinforcing work requirements in order to receive SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps. In this economy, there is no excuse for capable Americans to not seek out employment. By encouraging Americans to find and retain jobs, we ultimately lift people out of poverty, strengthen the overall economy, and help save taxpayer money. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: I am proud to serve Alabama’s Second District where agriculture is the largest employer, responsible for more than 93,000 jobs and more than $11 billion in economic impact. I know how critically important it is that Congress deliver agriculture policy that actually works for farmers throughout Alabama and our country and makes their important work easier, not harder. I was glad to be a voice for Alabama’s farmers throughout the process to ensure that our commodities receive fair treatment. This farm bill addresses many of the challenges farmers face daily, and that’s why I was proud to cast my vote in favor of the legislation today. Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers: I was pleased today to see the Farm Bill finally pass the House of Representatives. As the only member of the House Agriculture Committee from the State of Alabama, I know firsthand the Agriculture industry makes up over 40 percent of our state’s economy and that our farmers and producers count on this legislation every five years. “This year, the legislation will help people pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty because it makes meaningful reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It helps to incentivize all able-bodied individuals to work part-time or receive free training they need to find a job. Keep in mind, this does not apply to children, the elderly, expectant mothers, disabled individuals or caretakers of children. Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell: No child deserves to go to bed hungry, but that is exactly what today’s farm bill will do to countless children across the country by making drastic cuts to our food assistance programs. I voted against today’s farm bill because SNAP is a proven pathway out of poverty for our most vulnerable families, and I believe that cutting that lifeline of support is cruel and short-sighted. In Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, 60,000 households rely on SNAP to put food on the table. For farmers and grocers in our district, cuts to this program mean lost revenue and bad business. I urge Republicans to end their attack on our social safety net and work with Democrats to help working families build a better life. Kimble Forrister | Executive Director, Arise Citizens’ Policy Project The U.S. House just voted to make life harder for tens of thousands of Alabamians. The House Farm Bill would increase hunger and hardship across Alabama and across the country by undercutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This program helps nearly 900,000 Alabamians afford groceries and lifts 195,000 of them out of poverty. SNAP plays an essential role in supporting Alabama’s economy, improving public health and boosting rural communities. But the House bill would shift funding away from food assistance to a new, unworkable and underfunded employment and training system that would do little to help people actually find jobs. This move would take away or cut food assistance for millions of struggling Americans, including children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, low-wage workers, and people who lost their jobs. Mitt Walker | Director, Alabama Farmers Federation’s National Legislative Programs Passing the farm bill is a step forward in providing certainty and stability for American farmers in times of uncertain market and trade conditions.
GOP-led House narrowly passes farm bill
The Republican-led House has narrowly passed a sweeping farm bill that would toughen work requirements for food stamp recipients. The bill passed 213-211. Democrats opposed the measure, saying it would toss too many people off government food assistance. The measure renews the safety net for farmers as President Donald Trump‘s tough talk on tariffs threatens to close markets for many of their products. The vote Thursday marked the House’s second attempt to pass a farm bill. GOP leaders suffered an embarrassing setback in May when 30 GOP members opposed passage in an effort to get a vote on immigration legislation. The House bill sets up a certain clash with the Senate, which looks to make mostly modest adjustments to existing programs and doesn’t pick a food stamps fight. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Missouri, released the following statement in reaction to the bill moving forward. “Having grown up raising hogs and cattle, I understand how hard farmers work day in and day out to put food on our tables and on the shelves of our grocery stores,” said Congressman Luetkemeyer. “Under the leadership of Chairman Conaway, the Farm Bill prioritizes rural America and provides our farmers with the certainty they need. This bill protects crop insurance, requires the USDA to establish forward-looking broadband standards, and prioritizes development initiatives to promote job creation and economic growth in rural areas. I voted in support of this bill to ensure stability for our Missouri farmers and strengthen our rural communities, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this critical legislation.” Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Missouri, also released a statement. “Missouri farmers work hard every day to feed the world, and they need the certainty that this farm bill provides. This bill ensures the American consumer continues to enjoy the safest, most abundant food supply in the world by strengthening safeguards and improving public/private risk management programs that are vital to American agriculture. In addition, the Farm Bill makes significant investments in rural broadband, promotes trade, invests in research and development, and expands conservation acreage. “This bill contains historic improvements to the SNAP program to help recipients break the cycle of poverty by improving work opportunities for able-bodied adults receiving federal nutrition assistance. This bill promotes work and individual success while empowering those dependent on government assistance. These common-sense improvements will reduce unemployment and help people move from dependency to independence and self-sufficiency.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
