Rep. Josh Harder Secures Relief For Farmers Affected By Shutdown

Washington DC— Today, California Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) demanded that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue extend the deadline for farmers seeking relief under the Market Facilitation Program—and the Secretary of Agriculture has agreed to act. Because of the government shutdown, farmers would have been unable to apply for this vital program if the deadline was not extended from its original date of January 15, 2019.

The Market Facilitation Program was established in 2018 by the US Department of Agriculture to make payments to farmers hurt by tariffs. Over the last year, California farmers have been especially targeted by retaliatory tariffs, and this relief is an important source of financial assistance.

In a huge win for farmers, Rep. Josh Harder's urging has successfully moved the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to extend the deadline for a period equal to the number of days the government has shut down. The letter he signed with fellow members of the California delegation can be found on this release.

Rep. Josh Harder released the following statement:

"We knew we had to take immediate action to help hardworking farmers get this relief. A lot of farmers are feeling the sting during this shutdown and extending the deadline for the Market Facilitation Program is the least we could do for them. I'm glad Secretary Perdue listened to our request and farmers in my community can count on my office to continue fighting on their behalf.

"You can't think about the Central Valley without thinking about the farmers that form our bedrock—they are the driver of our economy and an essential part of our community. It's crucial they have a voice in Congress, and that's going to be one of my top priorities during my time in office."

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