MARSHALL – On Wednesday, Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach visited the Marshall Radio studios to provide updates on her efforts and those of her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives. She highlighted her “Investing in Rural America” provision in the farm bill, emphasizing its potential benefits for rural communities.
“This provision helps us incentivize and attract more capital to rural areas. We need this capital to build essential infrastructure like hospitals and daycare centers,” said Fischbach.
While the farm bill has faced delays, which have frustrated both farmers and legislators, Fischbach praised the contributions of GT Thompson. She noted that his Q&A session at last year’s FarmFest was particularly beneficial.
“Chairman Thompson of the Agriculture Committee has done an excellent job. He was in Minnesota multiple times for hearings, engaging with groups and individuals. His presence at FarmFest last year was instrumental in shaping a bill that addresses many farmers’ concerns,” Fischbach remarked.
Fischbach also addressed the “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme, which misallocated $250 million in taxpayer funds to personal luxuries such as cars, houses, and vacations. She expressed a strong desire to understand how such fraud could occur and persist at the state level.
“Those involved were found guilty, but we need to understand what failures at the state level allowed this to happen repeatedly. This money was meant to feed children, and we must ensure better oversight to prevent such schemes in the future,” Fischbach asserted.
Additionally, Fischbach commended the city of Marshall for securing funding for BioForge LLC, a new biomanufacturing facility being built adjacent to ADM.
“It’s always wonderful to see economic development and significant investments in our communities,” she said.
