Congresswoman Julia Letlow Questions US Agriculture Secretary Vilsack During FY2025 Budget Hearing

During the House Appropriations Committee FY2025 Department of Agriculture Budget Hearing, Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05) questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and discussed the steps his Department is taking to provide assistance to our agriculture industry.

Congresswoman Letlow highlighted the challenges Louisiana farmers, ranchers, and producers are facing due to high temperatures and drought from 2023. Specifically, the Congresswoman urged Secretary Vilsack to use his authority and provide relief to the crawfish industry. 

Previously, Rep. Letlow introduced the Drought Assistance Improvement Act, which seeks to provide those affected by drought with relief payments more quickly, and specifically expands relief benefits through the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) to include crawfish producers.

Click HERE to view Congresswoman Letlow's remarks.

Congresswoman Letlow’s remarks:

Representative Letlow: “Mr. Secretary, I know you're aware of the drought that has severely impacted every farmer and rancher in Louisiana. Thanks to the fast track method at the U.S. Drought Monitor, all 64 parishes in Louisiana were declared a disaster due to drought in 2023. As you've heard from me in the past, my district is one of the more robust and diverse agriculture districts in the country. While this disaster declaration has triggered several working programs like the Livestock Forage Program, it also continues to prove we still have shortcomings in terms of crops and livestock adequately covered with some sort of safety net. Since the 2018 Farm bill, USDA has been asked to protect farm raised fish producers through the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program. It was not until winter storm Uri in 2021 that this was implemented. I appreciate your administration's instituting this program. However, as we stand today, Louisiana's crawfish industry is on life support with no safety net to protect them from the drought that has devastated their production this last year. In February and March, the peak of crawfish season, multiple constituents came to see me and reported production levels below 10%. Numerous members of the Louisiana congressional delegation, our new Governor Landry, and our agriculture commissioner, have written to request you use your authority to provide crawfish farmers with some relief from this season of adverse weather. Unfortunately, many in the crawfish industry may not make it much longer. This is over a $300 million commodity in my home state, and one our local economy desperately depends on. Mr. Secretary, do you anticipate responding to these requests? And what more can I tell my constituents who continue to ask if your administration will use this authority to consider drought as adverse weather for farm raised fish?”

Secretary Vilsack: “Appreciate you raising the question. I'm happy to work with you and your team on how whether or not we have the discretion that you believe we may have. I'm not confident of that. I want to make sure that we, in fact, have that discretion. If we do, I'm more than happy to to to work with you to see if there's a way in which we can provide services.”

Rep. Letlow: “You most certainly do.I had language included in the final Fiscal Year 24 Appropriations bill directing you to do this. Will you use that authority to include drought as a cause of loss for farm raised fish?” 

Sec. Vilsack: “I'm happy to work - I’m reluctant to say yes for this reason: I just want to make sure that legally everything is in order because sometimes people think they've got we've got discretion. Sometimes you've given us instructions and directions only to find that the vehicle through which we would provide that assistance doesn't fit. So I just want to make sure that everything's aligned. And that's why I would like to work with your team.”

Rep. Letlow: “Great. Any idea when you can give me a response or an answer so I can tell my constituents?”

Sec. Vilsack: “Sure, we can work with you. And there's just no effort to delay. It's just I want to make sure I'm right when I say I can help you.”

Rep. Letlow: “Okay, great. My farmers are depending on that, so I look forward to hearing from you.”