Last week, the Big “I," along with over 50 industry groups, sent letters to Biden administration officials, including Tom Vilsack, secretary of Agriculture, and Shalanda Young, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, as well as congressional leaders, urging them to oppose any cuts to the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) in President Joe Biden's FY2023 budget. 

The Big “I" is a strong supporter of a robust and reliable FCIP, which is designed to provide certainty for American farmers and communities. 

The widely supported letter notes: “As the challenges for America's farmers and ranchers continue to grow, we believe crop insurance as a safety net is only becoming more important to stability in rural America. During this tumultuous time, one of the few certainties that farmers could rely on was the protection provided by their federal crop insurance policy." 

As with every budget announcement, the Big “I" expects attacks on the FCIP and will continue to advocate for a strong crop insurance program. 

Joseph Cortina is staff administrator, Big “I" crop insurance subcommittee.