Infrastructure Package to Help Rural Communities Compete

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Senate passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“AFBF appreciates the Senate for working together in a bipartisan manner to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The pressing infrastructure issues facing our nation are too important to ignore, particularly in rural communities where modernization is desperately needed.

“Farmers and ranchers depend on millions of miles of roadways and waterways to get their products to America’s dinner tables, and they rely on ports to ship food, fiber and fuel to countries around the world. Improvements in transportation infrastructure, as well as repair and upgrades to the aging western water infrastructure, will ensure farmers can continue to keep this nation fed.

“Extending digital access to rural America is just as important as paved roads and solid bridges. Increased funding to bring broadband to hundreds of thousands of farms that currently have no access to the internet will help farmers meet the demands of a growing world while using emerging technologies to build on climate-smart practices.

“We thank the Senate for working toward solutions while preserving important tax provisions that make it possible for farmers to pass the family business to the next generation.

"We urge leaders in the House to follow the Senate’s lead by leaving tax rates and stepped-up basis unchanged. Through bipartisan efforts we can continue to find commonsense solutions. We are closely watching the progress of this important legislation and will continue to work to protect the future of farming while creating opportunities for rural America.”