On Tuesday, April 25, Bread for the World and some of our key faith partners hosted a reception to celebrate the bipartisan commitment to the 2023 Farm Bill.
The event, “Keeping the Faith: Bipartisan Commitment for a 2023 Farm Bill,” featured Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Boozman (R-AR), the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
In welcoming remarks, Bread president and CEO Rev. Eugene Cho proclaimed, “it is an honor to be among this group of people who all share a similar passion – ensuring America’s food and farm policies help everyone in our country thrive, especially people who are experiencing hunger.”
Rev. Cho continued, “We can acknowledge the intense polarization of our times, and at the same time acknowledge that this event and every leader here are hopeful reminders that we can work together toward the common good.”
More than 200 faith leaders, advocates, and community members attended, as did Senate Agriculture Committee member Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Boozman, and Senate Agriculture Committee member Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), gave remarks about their intent and hope for a bipartisan farm bill and shared their personal connections to the legislation.
Following the event, Ranking Member Boozman shared, “The faith community’s advocacy for a bipartisan approach to the farm bill is so important as we move forward in the process. As I noted in my remarks, the world needs givers. The room was full of givers that night and it was very inspirational to be surrounded by them. I count on their continued engagement as we all work together to get the farm bill across the finish line.”
In addition to Sens. Stabenow, Boozman, and Braun, other speakers included U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black, who led the opening prayer; Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); Bishop James B. Walker, a Bread board member and presiding bishop of the Seventh Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church; Rev. David Beckmann, Bread president emeritus and Circle of Protection co-chair; and, Min. Heather Taylor, managing director of Bread.
Bread for the World is honored to have co-hosted the event with The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the National Association of Evangelicals, Catholic Charities USA, Latino Christian National Network, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Sojourners, and the Circle of Protection.
For more information about the farm bill and how you can help, visit Bread’s Offering of Letters webpage at bread.org/ol.
