Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Sept. 25 participated in a White House press briefing where he discussed how USDA operations, rural America and work on the 2023 Farm Bill could be impacted by the looming government shutdown.&nbsp;Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass legislation funding the government. If lawmakers fail to take action, impacts of the shutdown will begin to be felt on Oct. 1.&nbsp;Vilsack served as ag secretary during the 2013 government shutdown and said he remembers the needless challenges and disruptions it caused.&nbsp;While the impact on USDA’s nutrition programs, including SNAP and WIC, is well publicized, many more of USDA’s programs are facing disruption.&nbsp;“Now is the time when farmers are harvesting their crops and they’re seeking marketing loans, which allow them and assist them in ensuring that they get a decent price for their crop,” Vilsack said. “When we have a shutdown, Farm Service Agency offices in virtually every county of this country shut down and those loans are not available.”&nbsp;The inability to secure those loans will put small- and mid-sized farming operations at risk, impacting their ability to pay their bills and make sure they can harvest their crop, Vilsack explained. If they can’t harvest their crops, those farmers will not profit and could risk losing their farms. “It creates a tremendous amount of stress,” he added.According to Vilsack, more than 50,000 USDA employees are expected to be furloughed in the event of a government shutdown. The furlough would impact USDA operations in every county in the country, he said, including Farm Service Agency and Rural Development offices. Many other USDA departments would be impacted, including researchers and other employees who work for the Agricultural Research Service.&nbsp;A government shutdown would also impact USDA’s ability to offer technical assistance regarding the development of the 2023 Farm Bill, which is already far behind schedule.&nbsp;A full copy of Vilsack’s comments is available on the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/09/25/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-and-secretary-of-agriculture-tom-vilsack/">website</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Sept. 25 participated in a White House press briefing where he discussed how USDA operations, rural America and work on the 2023 Farm Bill could be impacted by the looming government shutdown. 

Vilsack discusses impact of looming government shutdown

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