Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's top priorities in the United States Senate include creating more well-paying jobs to rebuild the middle class, increasing access to good, affordable healthcare and improving educational opportunities from pre-k to college or vocational training.
Throughout her time in the Senate, Senator Gillibrand has been a leader in some of the toughest fights in Washington. She led the effort to repeal the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy that banned gay people from serving openly in the military; she wrote the STOCK Act, which made it illegal for members of Congress to trade stocks on insider information; and she won the long fight to provide permanent health care and compensation to the 9/11 first responders and community survivors who are sick with diseases caused by the toxins at Ground Zero.
"New York is home to the hardest working farm families and the finest locally-grown produce in the world, but high feed costs, a shortage of skilled labor, and uncertain export markets have strained our farmers and farming communities across the state. If we’re going to rebuild this economy, we need to keep families on their farms and support rural communities so they can thrive.” - Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator
Since the founding of our Nation, America’s farmers have provided the food, fiber, and fuel that have made all of our great achievements possible. By producing the most abundant, affordable, nutritious, and safe food in history, farmers have contributed to the health and welfare of every citizen and countless people around the world.
But like most other Americans, farmers have had to work harder just to keep up.
An increasingly global marketplace, uncertain trade policies, the erosion of federal supports, and a relentless drive for efficiency has forced farmers to shoulder more debt and risk than ever before. Farming may be less physical than it once was but it’s far more demanding than it’s ever been. Balancing inputs, labor, capital, markets, transportation, facilities, machinery, while continuing to ensure the health of livestock, soil, and the environment requires skill and dedication.
America’s farmers are up to the task but we must support them.
No other industry has done more through technology, research, and innovation than agriculture to keep pace with increasing demands from a growing population. As the first New Yorker to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years, Senator Gillibrand is committed to supporting dairies and diversified farms of all sizes including access to financing, new market opportunities, improve risk management products for dairy and specialty crops, and investments in renewable energy.