The Impact of Democrats' Policies on Rural America

Central Washington is made up of honest, hardworking, freedom-loving Americans who provide food and fiber for this nation, and my district is home to some of the most dedicated and innovative agriculture producers in the country.

Washington’s farmers and ranchers produce more than 300 commodities, including high-quality hay, wheat, beef, dairy, and specialty crops like apples, hops, potatoes, cherries, mint, and winegrapes. Blessed with the conditions to produce such a diverse range of crops, Central Washington is proud to share its natural abundance in helping feed the country – and the world. Those of us who live here have a deep appreciation for our nation’s farmers and recognize how important it is that we have a strong domestic agriculture sector.

But lately, President Biden and his far-left Democrats are so focused on radically altering the country with their $4.3 trillion dollar spending spree that they’re blind to the impacts their own policies are already having on Americans across the country. Inflation is at a 13-year high, and now they are looking to raise taxes on small businesses and family farms — all while hiring 87,000 more IRS collection agents.

As a lifelong farmer, former director of agriculture for Washington state, and current chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I understand the vested interest we share in supporting our agriculture producers – and I am proud to join my House Republican colleagues in advocating against burdensome regulations that impact rural communities.

The Democrats’ proposed Death Tax would devastate Central Washington families looking to pass their farm on to their children. In fact, this provision alone often determines whether family farmers and ranchers can maintain their land from one generation to the next – or if that land will be broken up, sold off, and paved over.

I always find it ironic that the same politicians who decry “Big Agriculture” are also the ones who constantly advocate for policies and regulations that make it harder and harder for small family farms – like mine and those of my neighbors’ – to survive.

It’s not just Democrats’ disastrous policies we’re having to fend off. That’s why I, alongside my Republican colleagues, am leading the effort to stop our foreign adversaries, like Communist China, from gobbling up American farmland and taking control of our food supply chain.

Even as Congressional Democrats pile regulatory burdens on rural Americans, President Biden continues to stretch the limits of his executive authority. His Administration is trying to revive the single most overreaching federal regulation in history: the “Waters of the United States” – or WOTUS – rule. This dangerous policy empowers federal bureaucrats to place every single body of water – every ditch, puddle, and stream – under federal regulation, and as a result, the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities across the nation are at stake.

A farmer could be fined thousands of dollars by the EPA if they so much as rotate their crops without asking permission from the federal government – that is the real-world impact of these ridiculous policies.

It is clear to me – just as I know it is clear to my constituents – that President Biden and Democrats in control of Congress are failing to display the leadership America needs and deserves. Instead of continuing to cater to the radicals in their party, it’s time for them to take a look at how their policies are harming us here in Central Washington and in rural communities across the country. We deserve far better.