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VIDEO: Harder Speaks on His Bill to Lower Food & Gas Prices Before House Passage

June 16, 2022

The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act includes a bill written by Rep. Harder to help farmers lower input costs and save families money at the grocery store

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Josh Harder spoke on the floor of the House before the passage of his bill, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, which is laser focused on lowering prices for Valley families at the grocery store and the gas station. Passing this bill is a continuationofRep.Harder’swork to make the Valley an affordable place to live and raise a family.

The bill includes legislation written by Rep. Harder to provide critical inflation relief for Central Valley farmers dealing with rising prices for input costs like fertilizer, which has tripled in price over the past two years. Rep. Harder’s bill will help farmers implement nutrient management plans which will lower input costs for Valley farmers and help bring prices down at the grocery store.

The bill also includes legislation to lower gas prices by allowing gas stations to sell cheaper gasoline blends year round. Gas prices in the Central Valley today are an average of $6.36 per gallon, more than two dollars higher than the price at this time last year.

VIDEO of Rep. Harder’s floor speech is available for use here.

Read Rep. Harder’s remarks below:

I rise today frustrated and to be honest, just plain tired.

For months now my community has been paying over 6 dollars a gallon for gas and 5 bucks for a jug of milk. Prices are out of control and it’s crushing us.

I talked to a neighbor the other day and she told me she’d soon have to choose between picking up her kids at school or driving herself to work if gas prices stay this high.

This isn’t a political issue - this is a commonsense one. We can’t keep living like this.

Families in my neighborhood don’t have the luxury of sitting around while politicians do nothing.

Today we have a chance to actually help by passing our Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act.

This package includes my bill, which provides funding for farmers to implement nutrient management plans. Those plans will help lower the cost of growing food for our farmers, so prices go back down to normal at the grocery store.

Helping farmers lower costs while cutting gas prices for our families is Common. Sense.

It’s beyond time Congress put politics aside and actually listen to what our communities need.

They aren’t asking for rocket science! They are asking for government to do its job and bring prices back to earth.

I hope common sense prevails today. Let’s pass this bill.

I yield back.

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