August 18, 2021

US politician recognised by American Farm Bureau for being reliable partner with agriculture

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and South Dakota Farm Bureau (SDFB) have presented US Rep. Dusty Johnson with an Outstanding New Member of Congress Award.

The award recognises a member of the US Congress who was recently elected and has already proven to be a reliable partner for agriculture.

"It is an honor to present the Outstanding New Member of Congress Award to Congressman Johnson," AFBF president Zippy Duvall said. "Despite spending over half of his congressional tenure battling the COVID-19 pandemic, Congressman Johnson has already made a tremendous impact on agriculture."

Johnson has been a leader on several key issues facing US farmers and ranchers, including renewable fuels, livestock marketing and ensuring agriculture can recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Congressman Johnson was the first member of the House of Representatives to request that agriculture and food processing workers be considered essential workers during the pandemic," Duvall said. "He then led the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus to develop a framework for COVID relief funds that included US$25 billion for agriculture, which many prominent organisations and congressional leaders applauded."

SDFB nominated Johnson for the award in honor of his service to rural America in Washington, DC, since he was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018.

AFBF vice president and SDFB president Scott VanderWal said: "Congressman Johnson is a tireless and passionate advocate for agriculture and other issues in rural America. In his first two years in Congress, he has always sought out the opinions of farmers and ranchers in South Dakota and has been a leader on several key issues impacting the day-to-day life of all in agriculture. His dedication to agriculture and rural communities makes him extremely deserving of this award."

- AFBF