Nebraska farmers voice concerns in Washington over reconciliation bill and tariffs

Lincoln, NE — Nebraska farmers have taken their concerns to the nation's capital, with a delegation of 12 farmers from the Nebraska Farm Bureau meeting with senators in Washington, D.C. Their discussions centered on three main issues, including the reconciliation bill.

"This reconciliation bill, they are just trying to delegate different funding with the budget that they already have set forth," said Micah Erickson, a member of the delegation. He noted that the House has passed its version of the bill to the Senate, where it will be discussed in the coming days.

Trade and tariffs were also significant topics during the farmers' three-day visit. Erickson explained, "Everything that we talked about, there are relationships being made with former people we traded with a few years ago. They are negotiating getting new deals. They are working on them, but the problem is they are just slow and they always will be."

Erickson expressed frustration with the "Make America Healthy Again" report, describing it as a "stab in the back" concerning glyphosate and atrazine.

"It's an issue, because if glyphosate and atrazine get taken out of our rolodex for herbicide programs, there are other things that work very well, but they are triple the cost," he said.

The meeting, organized by the American Farm Bureau, included representatives from nearly every state.

"Every state might have different issues, but a different level on each issue," Erickson said.

The agricultural community is grappling with uncertainties ranging from tariffs to drought.

"It's an accumulation of different problems that all hit at the same time," Erickson noted.

Lincoln is experiencing only moderate drought, according to Drought.gov, but it is the driest year on record in 131 years. Governor Jim Pillen has declared Lincoln and 11 other counties as primary natural disaster areas. This marks the seventh driest January to May period on record.