The House Agriculture Committee passed the Block Assistance Act (H.R. 662) on Thursday. This act was introduced in February to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can provide relief to agriculture producers devastated by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.
Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) said Hurricane Ian impacted more than 375,000 acres of citrus groves, causing $675 million in damage. Congress approriated $3.7 billion in December 2022 to address agricultural losses, yet not one single citrus grower has received any of that money.