Larson, Courtney, DeLauro, Balint Applaud President Biden’s Support for Relief for Farmers Impacted by Severe Weather

Washington, D.C. - Today, Reps. John B. Larson (CT-01), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Becca Balint (VT-AL) applauded President Biden for heeding their calls to deliver emergency relief for Northeast farmers to recover from devastating crop damage and loss they faced due to severe frost and flooding earlier this year. 

“Due to the severe weather we faced earlier this year, many farms have lost hundreds of acres of crops and people have been put out of work,” said Larson. “Existing federal programs are not enough to meet the needs of New England farms. I worked with Connecticut farmers and my colleagues across the region to find a solution that meets the moment and am pleased to announce President Biden’s support for direct, emergency relief. It is now up to Congress to act swiftly to approve his request. Our farmers have waited long enough to get the relief they need and deserve.” 

“This past year, our farmers dealt with hours of record-freezing temperatures in May – right during our peak growing season – only to have extreme flooding impacting those same operations less than two months later. These same family farms were impacted by a serious drought last summer that caused significant losses, all while the agriculture industry as a whole tried to recover from the changing economy and world after the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why last year, I led the Connecticut delegation in securing emergency disaster assistance for our farmers, and this year, I again worked with my colleagues in Connecticut to lead the charge in securing a commitment from the Biden Administration to support emergency disaster assistance for agricultural producers,” said Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02). 

“Farmers in Connecticut are experiencing widespread harm due to recent extreme weather events such as severe drought and unprecedented flooding,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03). “As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I was pleased the President included this relief in his supplemental funding request to Congress. I will fight to secure federal support for the USDA Emergency Relief Program, which provides relief to our farmers in the form of financial assistance and expedited disaster relief payments. I will continue to work with our local communities and farmers to ensure that they get the help they need to rebuild, recover, and move forward. This issue is critical to my district and to our region’s agriculture industry." 

“After this year's severe weather and devastating floods, New England farmers need resources to fight climate change and protect their land,” said Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL). “The President’s requested support is critical in Vermont’s response and recovery process. I’m proud to join my colleagues in applauding the President’s support for emergency aid and now it’s time for Congress to step up and approve this request.” 

New England farms faced more than $50 million in damage as a result of frost and severe flooding earlier this year, impacting approximately 4,000 acres of farmland in Connecticut, and over 27,000 acres in Vermont. Last week, Larson, Courtney, and Balint led 13 lawmakers requesting President Biden’s support for emergency aid. This week, the President included relief for farmers in the domestic supplemental funding request he sent to Congress. 

Full text of the lawmakers’ letter is available HERE.