Agriculture
Georgia’s farmers, ranchers, and producers are the backbone of our state’s most important industry: agriculture. As the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Co-Chair of the Congressional Peanut Caucus, I am a staunch supporter of the agricultural community in Georgia's Second Congressional District and the entire nation. I support assistance to farmers affected by drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters that occur each year. In addition, I have worked to ensure that the peanut support program remained strong in the 2014 Farm Bill; strengthen our nation's nutrition programs; reform the H2-A program for non-immigrant agricultural workers; bolster child nutrition programs in our nation’s schools; prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing burdensome regulations on agriculture; ensure that Mexican tomatoes and chicken do not drive down the prices of U.S.-produced tomatoes and chicken due to illegal dumping; and advance agricultural research, food safety initiatives, and broadband services to rural communities.
More on Agriculture
Feb 5, 2018
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, in accordance with Section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, sent a letter on February 2, 2018 designating Seminole County and Grady County in Georgia’s Second Congressional District as contiguous disaster areas. The designation follows a review of crop losses caused by Hurricane Irma, which struck the region during September 9-12, 2017.
Jan 22, 2018
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) is pleased to announce that the Rural Development agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $310,950 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant for Augusta University Research Institute to implement an Emergency Telehealth network in rural Georgia. Congressman Bishop spearheaded the creation of a telehealth network with language in the FY2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill (Public Law 115-31).
Jan 18, 2018
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02), is pleased to announce that the Rural Development agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a $62,979 Housing Preservation Grant for the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission and a $50,000 Housing Preservation Grant for SW Georgia Community Action.
Dec 21, 2017
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA) released the following statement regarding his support for the disaster assistance bill and the continuing resolution to fund the government. The disaster assistance bill includes $81 billion in assistance for communities impacted by recent storms, fires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. It passed the House by a vote of 251 to 169. The continuing resolution, which will fund the government through January 19, 2018, passed the House by a vote of 231 to 188.
Nov 29, 2017
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, delivered the following opening statement earlier today during the subcommittee’s hearing on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) role in current disaster recovery efforts.
Video and background on the subcommittee hearing can be found here. Hearing witnesses included:
Nov 15, 2017
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, in accordance with Section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, sent a letter this week designating 83 counties within the State of Georgia as primary disaster areas due to the impacts of Hurricane Irma.
Nov 2, 2017
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tomorrow, November 3, 2017, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, will attend and deliver remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new research facility at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Poultry Research Center in Athens, Georgia.
The ceremony is set to begin at 10:00am. Congressman Bishop will be delivering remarks at 10:30am. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will also be speaking at the groundbreaking.
Sep 27, 2017
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02), is pleased to announce that the Rural Development agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved over $6.5 million in funding to the City of Butler, as well as an $8,248 grant to Brumbelow Foods in Randolph County, both located in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia.
Sep 15, 2017
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, released the following statement regarding the passing of Tommy Irvin, who served as Georgia’s Agriculture Commissioner for 42 years.
Sep 14, 2017
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, September 15, 2017, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will tour hurricane damage to farms in Georgia, including Mason Pecans in the Second Congressional District of Georgia.
Congressman Bishop and Secretary Perdue will visit Mason Pecans in Fort Valley, Georgia at 12:15pm.