The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Democratic Leader
United States Senate
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Senators McConnell and Schumer:
The nation’s dairy farmers are reeling from the drop in milk prices due to shifts in demand for milk and dairy foods related to the nation’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The closure of sit-down restaurants due to social distancing requirements for both staff and patrons directly resulted in a sharp decline in orders for products like cheese and butter that use a major portion of the nation’s milk supply.
The intent of COVID-19 relief legislation passed by Congress is to help farmers get through this very difficult time of low milk prices. This is the time to compensate our dairy farm families for the unexpected losses they have incurred. Yet the funds recently allocated to farmers from the CARES Act came with limitations that disadvantaged the families that produce the majority of the milk in this country. The financial harm from the nation’s response to this public health crisis accrues to our dairy farm families in direct correlation to the amount of milk they provide to the market. Relief funds that discriminate based on herd size do not fairly accomplish the goal of diminishing the economic hit to farmers from the coronavirus response.
As you consider legislation for another round of COVID-19 relief for the nation’s farmers and ranchers, we respectfully request that the USDA be directed to make funds available to dairy producers in a way that covers losses incurred on all of the milk produced. We recognize that the Department of Agriculture made significant improvements in the distribution of relief to farmers between the original proposal and the final rule for CARES Act funds. We thank the Department for listening to us and we thank you for your help in making our voices heard. The concept of payment limits still results in inequities in providing compensation for damages incurred, however, and we urge you to authorize any future assistance precluding such limits.
Thank you for your attention to our concerns about this matter. Representatives of the undersigned organizations would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you further.
Sincerely,
James Boyle
President
