Lawmakers in Washington are pointing to ongoing natural disasters to justify efforts to increase federal subsidies for agricultural businesses. From Hurricane Ian to farmers impacted by drought and other disasters across the US, agricultural special interests continue to seek more taxpayer subsidies. However, recent record spending on ad hoc disaster aid has too often been unnecessary, at times lining the pockets of producers or landowners already covered by other federal programs aimed at preventing the need for post-disaster subsidies.

The desire to aid individuals and communities affected by natural disasters is understandable. But considering the numerous and generous federal assistance programs already in place for agricultural losses, such as federally subsidized crop insurance, the justification for a separate, multi-billion-dollar additional disaster aid package is thin. Congress should instead focus any future disaster aid on losses that cannot otherwise be covered by private or federal crop insurance or other existing farm bill disaster programs. Ultimately lawmakers must focus on reforming federal farm policy to enable producers to increase their resilience to future climate and economic challenges instead of furthering certain producers’ dependence on federal subsidies.

In addition to appropriating “emergency” disaster aid for agriculture in recent years, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA) has proposed creating a permanent disaster aid fund managed by the Secretary of Agriculture that would direct assistance in addition to existing farm bill authorized safety net programs. The House Agriculture Committee took a step in this direction in July 2021, voting to adopt the $8.5 billion Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) Reauthorization Act. This bill would expand and extend a “temporary” program originally created in response to hurricanes and wildfires in 2017.

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