McCaskill Bill Protects Access to Services for Missouri’s Farmers and Ranchers

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is introducing legislation that will ensure Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices remain accessible for Missouri’s farmers and ranchers. 

McCaskill’s legislation would prevent the closure of an FSA office unless another office is located within 20 miles driving distance.

“When we talk about the resources available to our rural communities, we’re talking about the jobs and livelihoods of Missouri’s farmers and ranchers,” said McCaskill, who was born in Rolla, Mo. “If federal bureaucrats are trying to balance their books by exploiting technicalities that hurt our farm and ranch families, I’m going to fight them—just as I’ll continue to fight unnecessary rules that threaten our agricultural production, whether it’s allowing children to work on their family’s farms or allowing farmers to drive a vehicle without the threat of government fines.”

Farmers and ranchers visit FSA offices for assistance with various farm programs, including payment programs, loan services, disaster programs, and conservation programs. In the 2008 Farm Bill, Congress addressed plans by the FSA to close many of its offices nationwide, limiting closures to those offices within 20 miles of another FSA office to avoid unreasonable travel burdens on farmers and ranchers.

However, that legislation did not specify that the twenty mile requirement refers to driving distance, as opposed to distance measured in a straight line. Ignoring the clear intent of the 2008 bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is attempting to abuse this technicality to close down additional FSA offices in states across the country, including one in Morgan County that is a twenty-six mile drive from the next nearest office, but less than 20 miles away as the crow flies.

In response, McCaskill will introduce new legislation to close the loophole and protect access to FSA services for farm and ranch families across the country. McCaskill's bill will make clear that an FSA office cannot be closed unless it is within 20 miles driving distance from another FSA office.

McCaskill has been an outspoken advocate for preventing overregulation of family farms and ranches:

·         Earlier this year, McCaskill, along with Senator Roy Blunt, championed a bipartisan amendment to a highway jobs bill that would exempt farmers transporting crops, livestock and equipment within 150 miles of their farm from regulations aimed at non-farm commercial vehicles. McCaskill’s amendment would also give individual states the freedom to establish safety rules for agricultural vehicles.

·         McCaskill delivered a victory for rural communities, successfully forcing the U.S. Labor Department to withdraw proposed rules that would affect the ability of young adults to work on family farms and ranches

·         McCaskill helped lead a bipartisan group of Senators in pushing for an exemption to allow the transportation of all farm supplies from any distribution point to a local farm retailer or to the consumer during planning and harvest seasons

·         McCaskill confronted the Environmental Protection Agency in opposition to proposed rules over farm dust