Issues

America is home to the world’s most affordable, abundant, and safe food supply. Industrious producers across America and the 1st District of Arkansas are the source of the food and fiber that feed the millions of mouths here and around the world.  By the year 2050, the world’s population is projected to grow to 9 billion, and I am confident that America will lead the way in agricultural production through technological innovation. Agriculture is a cornerstone of Arkansas’s economy. Annually, it is a $16 billion industry that employs over 260,000 Arkansans. On a national level, our First District produces more rice by a healthy margin than any other. Agriculture is critical not only to the District, but to the State, the Delta region, and to America. As a Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I am responsible for writing policies that support our farmers and advance the interests of American agriculture. A ready supply of food and fiber is a national security priority, and as a nation we should always be self-sufficient with regard to food. The day we become a net importer is the day we say goodbye to our national security. We can’t be dependent on other nations to feed ourselves. I have worked with my colleagues on oversight and will continue to do everything within my power to scale back the EPA’s overreach. Additionally, I will continue to actively support the farm safety-net our farmers rely upon. I understand that agriculture is a cyclical industry and the American farmer can often face unforeseeable hardships such as crop failure, climate fluctuation, natural disaster and significant market downturns. It is critical that farmers have support mechanisms so they can mitigate risk and ensure income despite possible setbacks. I am committed to making this my primary focus when I, along with my colleagues on the Agriculture Committee, write the next Farm Bill.

Increasingly, Congress is divided not along partisan lines but along urban vs. suburban and rural divides. Rural and to some extent suburban Americans face unique challenges that those who live in metro areas aren’t familiar with. As a member from a very rural district in middle America, Congressman Crawford is intimately familiar with the unique challenges facing rural Americans and he works to highlight their concerns in Congress. In rural America, access is key, whether it’s for education, healthcare, food security, or employment. Crawford believes that in order to keep our rural communities viable while keeping our spending under control, we need to leverage new technologies that allow small towns the access they need to crucial services without overspending. Crawford has long argued that robust rural broadband development is crucial for the economic viability and future of rural towns. Congressman Crawford believes that rules are often created in Washington and then applied to the nation at large without respect and deference to regional differences as a “one-size fits all” solution. From Waters of the U.S., to the Endangered Species Act, to the White River’s Blueway Designation, Crawford has fought back against gross and incompetent federal overreach that actually harms many rural communities.