U.S Senator Gardner Commends New Assistance for Agriculture Producers

USDA announces first wave of agriculture aid that Gardner helped secure in the CARES Act

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) released the following statement in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) creating the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), a relief program to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for this $19 billion program was made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020.

“Times like these remind us how blessed we are to have farmers and ranchers in Colorado and across the nation working day and night to provide food for the American people,” said Senator Gardner. “I’ve called on the USDA to provide as much relief and support as possible for agriculture producers in Colorado who are facing new disruptions because of COVID-19, and I’m encouraged by the creation of this new program. We must do everything possible to support farmers and ranchers through this pandemic to keep our domestic and global food supply secure.”

You can read more about Senator Gardner’s actions to protect Coloradans from COVID-19 here.

Gardner has requested significant support for Colorado agriculture producers during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Gardner and Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) sent a letter urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure the needs of Colorado’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are met as the agency allocates disaster relief funds.
• Gardner sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue calling on the department to extend assistance to the dairy industry, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Gardner and Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) requested the U.S Department of Agriculture to take additional steps to provide relief for farmers to ensure the continuity of food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Gardner wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting that he provide immediate assistance to cattle producers by using the resources provided in the recently enacted CARES Act.

Cory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.