ICYMI: Farmers on the hook for millions after Trump freezes USDA funds

Raleigh, N.C. — The Trump Administration’s federal funding cuts continue to have negative impacts on everyday Americans. A recent piece in the Washington Post outlines how the freeze of USDA funds is harming individual American farmers:

“Farmers report missing millions of dollars of funding they were promised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, despite promises from the Trump administration that a federal funding freeze would not apply to projects directly benefiting individuals.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump ordered the USDA to freeze funds for several programs designated by President Joe Biden’s signature clean-energy and health-care law, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The freeze paused some funding for the department’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which helps farmers address natural resource concerns, and the Rural Energy for America Program, which provides financial assistance for farmers to improve their infrastructure.

Farmers who signed contracts with the USDA under those programs paid up front to build fencing, plant new crops and install renewable energy systems with guarantees that the federal government would issue grants and loan guarantees to cover at least part of their costs. Now, with that money frozen, they’re on the hook.”

Agriculture is a critical part of North Carolina’s economy, representing one-sixth of the state’s income and employment. The state also leads in new clean energy jobs and investments in rural communities. The Administration’s funding cuts stand to harm the farmers who work hard to put food on our tables and keep business running in North Carolina. 

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