UPDATES

• The comment period for the “SUSTAINS Act” is open until Sept. 16, 2024
• The House did not vote on the SUSTAINS Act (HR 2606) as an independent piece of legislation. It was added to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. USDA is asking for comments on the bill which will authorize the agency to accept private contributions to channel through existing USDA conservation programs. The first line of the legislation specifically calls for public-private partnerships. This is troubling since we as Americans will not be able to vote for any of the people in charge at USDA and therefore will not have a say in what is done with any of the monies collected. Again, this language is asking for agency heads, not Americans and our farmers, to have sole discretion over what happens.

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