U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., received the Friend of Farm Bureau Award for the 116th Congress from the American Farm Bureau Federation. The award is given to members of Congress who have been nominated by their respective state Farm Bureaus and whose voting record demonstrates support for the Farm Bureau’s priorities.
“The Farm Bureau is a strong voice for agriculture and rural communities across our nation,” Wicker said. “I am honored to accept the Friend of Farm Bureau Award. I will continue to advance legislation that supports farmers and agricultural producers and the infrastructure that helps all businesses thrive.”
Among other priorities, the Farm Bureau Federation scorecard cited Wicker’s support for legislation like the Paycheck Protection Program, which helped to protect American jobs during the global coronavirus pandemic, and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which helped to expand the market for U.S.-produced agricultural products.
As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Wicker has also been a strong supporter of efforts to expand broadband internet infrastructure to rural areas.
Wicker led legislation to establish a Precision Agriculture Task Force at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to identify gaps in broadband connectivity for the nation’s cropland and ranchland. The measure also instructs the FCC to develop ways to help encourage broadband adoption and precision agriculture in areas where it is currently unavailable. This year, the task force announced the award of a special $1 billion fund to support precision agriculture deployment to farms and ranches.
Wicker has also been a leader on environmental regulation reform. He has supported Farm Bureau efforts to roll back regulations on agricultural facilities that provide little benefit to the environment. He has also advanced projects like the Yazoo Backwater Pumps in the Mississippi Delta, which will protect hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland, homes, and businesses from repeated flooding.
The award was presented by Mike McCormick of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation in Jackson.
Press Release
10/15/2020
Magnolia Tribune
