The massive economic bill passed by this Congress had a number of agriculture related provisions that were hotly contested in Congress.
The bill, which contains $22.7 billion in agriculture and nutrition assistance provisions, including $3.6 billion in aid for the food supply chain as well as the $4 billion estimated cost of paying off USDA direct and guaranteed loans held by minority farmers. The package also would provide additional help for expanding broadband service as well as infrastructure: The $340 billion earmarked in the bill for aid to state and local governments could be used for water, sewer and broadband as well as to cover pandemic-related needs and revenue shortfalls.
Democrats won approval of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package after modifying some provisions to assuage party moderates but preserving historic debt relief for minority farmers that Republicans tried to strip from the bill.
"This bill will deliver more help to more people than anything the federal government has done in decades,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said shortly before the final Senate vote. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., countered that the Senate had never voted to spend so much money “in such a haphazard fashion.”
The bill, which contains $22.7 billion in agriculture and nutrition assistance provisions, including $3.6 billion in aid for the food supply chain as well as the $4 billion estimated cost of paying off USDA direct and guaranteed loans held by minority farmers. The package also would provide additional help for expanding broadband service as well as infrastructure: The $340 billion earmarked in the bill for aid to state and local governments could be used for water, sewer and broadband as well as to cover pandemic-related needs and revenue shortfalls.
Democrats won approval of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package after modifying some provisions to assuage party moderates but preserving historic debt relief for minority farmers that Republicans tried to strip from the bill.
"This bill will deliver more help to more people than anything the federal government has done in decades,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said shortly before the final Senate vote. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., countered that the Senate had never voted to spend so much money “in such a haphazard fashion.”