White House: ‘Extreme’ GOP shutdown hurts farmers, mothers, and children

The White House outlined on Monday how a potential government shutdown would hurt mothers and their children utilizing food assistance programs, farmers, and other rural residents.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack joined White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at Monday’s briefing, and he listed a few of the “needless challenges and disruptions” to the Department of Agriculture’s programs should lawmakers fail to pass funding legislation by the end of the month.

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Vilsack served in the same role during the 2013 government shutdown and opened his remarks by noting how a shutdown would jeopardize food assistance for the 7 million recipients of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

He also said that, over the coming months, farmers across the country will apply for USDA-guaranteed marketing loans, “which allow them and assist them in ensuring they get a decent price for their crop.”

“When we have a shutdown, farm service agency offices in virtually every county of this country shut down, and those loans are not available. It’s not just about farm loans. It’s about newlyweds who have decided to purchase their first home in a rural, small town, and perhaps they’re getting a loan guarantee from a bank that is guaranteed by USDA, or perhaps they’re getting a direct loan from USDA to be able to purchase that home with a shutdown,” Vilsack said. “Those loans don’t take place. And it’s conceivable in those circumstances, not only are they not able to close the loan. It’s also conceivable that they may lose the deal.”

Vilsack’s comments echoed remarks made by Jean-Pierre at the top of (and throughout) the press briefing.

“This week, as House Republicans’ chaos continues to march us toward an extreme Republican shutdown, we are calling out how a shutdown would damage our community’s economy and national security, and we’re going to hold extreme House Republicans accountable,” she said. “We’re going to hold them accountable for the reckless cuts they are demanding as a condition for keeping the government open.”

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You can watch Monday’s briefing in full below.