Agriculture Plan

Agriculture is the foundation of our regional economy. New York’s 24th Congressional District is the largest agricultural district in the Northeast and the 5th largest dairy-producing district in the United States. It includes Wayne County, the 3rd largest apple-producing county nationwide and the largest outside Washington State. Wyoming County is also among the nation’s leading maple syrup-producing counties, while the Finger Lakes is internationally recognized for its vineyards, orchards, and specialty crops. These producers drive our local economy, create jobs throughout the region, and provide our grocery stores and schools with nutritious, locally produced food.

In recent years, however, farmers and agricultural producers have faced mounting pressure from unfair foreign trade practices and burdensome policies at both the state and federal levels. Agriculture is essential to the strength of our communities, supporting critical jobs and economic opportunities across the region. We must enact commonsense policies that allow our farmers and rural communities to remain competitive in the global marketplace.

I support a comprehensive strategy that advances pro-farmer policies and strengthens the programs necessary to maintain a thriving domestic food supply. My plan will expand opportunities throughout our rural communities, protect American agriculture from hostile foreign interference, and provide farmers and producers with the stability and resources they need to succeed.

Promoting a Strong and Reliable Farm Economy

• Voted for H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act: Finally, after a three-year delay, the House of Representatives has passed a full 5-year farm bill. While many key Farm Bill provisions were included in H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, there was still much work to be done. This farm bill strengthens protections for specialty crop emergency assistance, extends key dairy provisions, and enhances oversight of foreign ownership of American farmland. While I was disappointed that a provision protecting pesticide usage from state-level overreach was removed, I will continue fighting to restore this provision in the final Farm Bill. 
• Cosponsored H.R. 9535, the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026: Farmers across NY-24 work tirelessly to feed America, but too many are struggling to find the workforce they need to keep their operations running. Our outdated H-2A program has created unnecessary costs, delays, and uncertainty that hurt family farms and increase food prices. For too long, critical industries like dairy have been locked out of the H-2A program. The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act delivers commonsense reforms that modernize the program, cut red tape, provide greater certainty for producers, and help strengthen our food supply. Importantly, this bill does not open the door for amnesty and preserves H-2A as a temporary labor program for our nation’s agricultural producers who cannot find American workers. Supporting American agriculture means ensuring our farmers have the tools they need to succeed. This legislation is an important step toward protecting our farms, our economy, and our nation's food security.
• Supporting Expanded Market Access for Agriculture: As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal trade policy, I will continue fighting to expand access to foreign markets for American farmers and agricultural producers. Unfair trade barriers, including India’s tariffs on American apples and Canada’s restrictions on U.S. dairy imports, have harmed our farmers and weakened the agricultural economy. American agriculture must have a seat at the table during future trade negotiations, and these discriminatory barriers must be eliminated.
• Cosponsored H.R. 4782, the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act: This bill will create a new program through USDA to enter into cooperative agreements with States to purchase food from local producers and farmers. Local farmers can play a critical role in combatting hunger in our communities, allowing food banks to provide fresh produce, dairy products, meats, and grains from local farms. By creating this new program, Congress can strengthen the partnership between farmers and state agencies to combat hunger and support local farms. 

Strengthening our Specialty Crop Industry

• Introduced H.R. 4205, the Fairness in Vineyard Data Act: This bipartisan legislation would require the federal government to conduct a nationwide grape statistics survey and expand its annual grape data collection from the two largest grape-producing states to the five largest, including New York. This information would help our Finger Lakes vineyards and wineries better understand industry trends and respond to changes in the market. I was pleased that this legislation was included in the House version of the Farm Bill.
• Sent a Letter to USDA on Supporting Specialty Crop Producers: Over the past few years, USDA specialty crop commodity purchases have been a critical lifeline for farmers, especially to offset high expenses and weather-related crop losses. I sent a letter with 52 of my Congressional colleagues urging USDA to expand these programs and use all available tools to strengthen and expand their procurement capabilities for our specialty crop farmers.
• Cosponsored H.R. 293, the Making Agricultural Products Locally Essential (MAPLE) Act: This bipartisan legislation would support the maple industry by creating new markets for maple syrup producers and expanding seniors’ access to locally sourced products. New York produces the best maple syrup in the country, and this bill would provide new incentives for seniors to purchase local products at farmers markets.
• Cosponsored H.R. 289, the SAP Act: This bipartisan bill would require the USDA to consult with maple syrup producers when establishing research and educational priorities under the Acer Access and Development Program. As the second-largest maple syrup-producing state in the country, New York must have a meaningful voice in the federal programs that affect its producers.
• Cosponsored H.R. 4708, the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act: The Spotted Lanternfly is a destructive pest that causes severe damage to specialty crops like grapes and apples. We must prevent this pest from spreading further into New York and threatening our farmers’ livelihoods. This bipartisan legislation would require the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to designate the spotted lanternfly as a high-priority research and extension initiative, supporting the development of more effective methods to control its spread.

Supporting New York Dairy

• Introduced H.Res. 527, National Dairy Month Resolution: New York is home to more than 3,000 dairy farms, many of which are located here in NY-24. These farms are central to our agricultural economy and provide families across the country with nutritious, high-quality dairy products. As the Representative of the largest dairy-producing district in the Northeast, I was proud to introduce this resolution supporting the designation of June as National Dairy Month and recognizing the contributions of our dairy farmers and producers.
• Led a Letter to USTR on Canada’s Failure to Uphold Dairy Commitments: I led a letter joined by 73 of my Congressional colleagues urging the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to hold Canada accountable for failing to honor its dairy commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Despite agreeing to end these practices during the 2018 USMCA negotiations, Canada continues manipulating its domestic dairy market to exclude affordable, high-quality American products. As the USMCA review process moves forward, I will continue fighting to secure fair access to Canadian markets for our dairy farmers.
• Introduced H.R. 240, the Protect Local Farms Act: This legislation would prohibit states from establishing an overtime threshold for agricultural workers below 60 hours per week. New York State’s oppressive mandate, which phases the overtime threshold down to 40 hours per week, ignores the concerns of both farmers and farm workers. This one-size-fits-all policy fails to account for the seasonal nature of agriculture and must be reversed.
• Cosponsored H.R. 294, the Dairy Farm Resiliency Act: This bipartisan legislation would update the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program by requiring covered milk-production levels to be adjusted every five years. The DMC program is a voluntary, government-backed insurance program that helps dairy farmers cover feed and production costs when milk prices decline. For the first time in 12 years, as a result of the H.R. 1, coverage levels increased from 5 million pounds to 6 million pounds. However, dairy farmers should not have to wait for over a decade for DMC levels to be updated. This bill would correct that problem and allow dairy farmers to protect more of the milk they produce.
• Cosponsored H.R. 649, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act: This bipartisan legislation would permit schools to offer both flavored and unflavored whole milk in their cafeterias. Whole milk provides children with important nutrients, including calcium, potassium, and vitamin D. This bill would support our Upstate dairy farms while giving schools greater flexibility to serve students nutritious and delicious whole milk!

Protecting U.S. Farmland from Foreign Interests

• Cosponsored H.R. 1576, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025: This legislation would strengthen the ability of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to scrutinize purchases of American farmland and agribusinesses by individuals and entities affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. This commonsense measure would prevent the CCP from acquiring large amounts of American agricultural land while protecting our farmers and national security.
• Cosponsored H.R. 1575, the No American Land for Communist China Act: This bill would prohibit Chinese government agents and CCP-affiliated individuals from purchasing land adjacent to federally owned properties. Preventing CCP agents from acquiring land near U.S. military installations and critical infrastructure is a commonsense safeguard that will strengthen our national security and help keep the homeland safe.

Your views are always important to me. Please write to me on my website or call my office at 202-225-3665 with feedback, questions, or concerns.