Don’t Ignore Rural America

Too many Americans ignore rural America until they need us. When food, lumber, energy, or agriculture product prices start to rise, Washington, D.C. and the political elite finally take notice of how their policies are affecting our most vital industries, and how much we do every day to support the rest of the country.

As every Arkansan knows, agriculture is Arkansas’ number one industry. Arkansas’ farmers and ranchers have fought through Covid and have been suffering from supply chain and inflation problems for months. Sadly, only now when it’s starting to affect Americans in urban grocery stores is Washington, D.C., paying attention. The political class is finally understanding what we’ve always known: when farmers and ranchers in rural America are hurting, everyone feels the pain.

This week, the Consumer Price Index reported inflation surged to 7.9% from the previous month– a 40-year high, crushing everyone including Arkansans. According to a new poll, 11% of Arkansans said in February they have a “very difficult” time paying foreveryday expenses due to inflation, which is up 120% from June 2021. Inflation, coupled with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has caused oil and liquified natural gas prices to skyrocket. Natural gas is a main component in fertilizer, which most rural Americans know, but which has come as a surprise to many in cities across America; a surprise that they may experience at the grocery store over and over again.

The White House has embarked on a campaign to blame America’s energy woes solely on Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Putin is a thug and a war criminal, his invasion of Ukraine didn’t start this energy crisis, it simply proved what Republicans have warned of since President Biden’s first day in Congress. Relying on foreign bad actors for our energy supply is ill-advised. By ending all new leases on Federal lands and waters, wrapping the energy industry in red tape, and constantly threatening additional taxes and regulation, this Administration has forced the energy industry into relying heavily on our enemies.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says there 9,000 oil permits available to companies who are simply choosing not to drill. This is a calculated and complete misrepresentation of the truth. If an oil well was viable, companies would undoubtedly use it. Just because a permit or lease exists does not mean the oil well is viable or that all the permits needed to drill are available. One lease and one permit are not enough to start producing usable energy. It is President Biden’s policies that have made us reliant on Russia and vulnerable to price fluctuations. When our oil prices rise, so does the price of every industry, including agriculture, and that hurts rural America most.

I hope times like these encourage leadership in Washington to understand that rural America cannot be ignored. Polices made halfway across the country may not only devastate the livelihoods of those in the agriculture industry, but also cause every American to suffer as a result. What is good for rural America is good for all of America.