GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin visited New Holland Brewing in Grand Rapids Wednesday for a roundtable discussion with agribusiness stakeholders.
Slotkin, D-Holly, said Michigan agriculture is key to a national plan to feed the nation without relying on outside food sources, particularly when the supply chain is interrupted. As a former intelligence agent and now serving on the House Ag Committee, Slotkin said a reliable food supply is a matter of national security.
She was among the group of House Democrats who sent a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., voicing concerns about the farm bill, which must be reauthorized this year.
“We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks really nonpolitical bills or sort of bipartisan traditional bills — like the Pentagon budget, like the (Federal Aviation Administration) reauthorization for our flight infrastructure — become political footballs,” Slotkin said. “And as someone who’s on the Ag Committee and who believes that we should be able to come together when it comes to feeding our country, we want to be able to have our processing committee do our good work and then not have it get filled up with all these culture-war amendments. So that was what we were hoping to see from Mr. McCarthy.”
Slotkin says despite the atmosphere in Washington, she expects the farm bill will pass — though it may be very late in the year as lawmakers scramble to get some important pieces of legislation done before breaking for Christmas.
She is among the candidates seeking to replace U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who announced she will not seek reelection next year.
