House Agriculture Committee Approves Newhouse-Led Disaster Relief Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House Agriculture Committee advanced his legislation, the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act, to provide much-needed relief to agriculture producers who experienced impacts from natural disasters in 2020 and 2021.

Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Wine Caucus, introduced this legislation in January alongside Members from west coast states that were impacted by wildfires in order to offer critical assistance to winegrape growers whose crops were destroyed by smoke taint.

"Winegrape growers and small farms across Central Washington and the West are all too familiar with the damage that wildfires and smoke can do to their lives and livelihood," said Rep. Newhouse. "WHIP+ is a necessary resource for many producers as they continue to recover from last year's devastating wildfires in our region – while facing new threats every day. I am glad to see this much-needed legislation approved by the Agriculture Committee, and I'll work to ensure it's considered on the House floor as soon as possible."

"From extreme fires to historic drought, our district and our nation have seen devastating disasters this year and last year. The Federal government must provide every tool and resource possible as we rebuild. That includes supporting family farmers and producers who had their crops ruined by smoke damage in the 2020 fires in our district," said Rep. Thompson.

Click here to read the text of the bill.

Quotes from supporting organizations are below.

"Wildfires and the potential for smoke exposure on winegrapes is a huge threat and sadly, we expect to see more up and down the West Coast. Congressman Newhouse has been listening carefully, and this relief is vital to our producers and the nation's wine industry. Congressman Newhouse's legislation is a major win for Washington's winegrape growers, and we thank him, but we also call on the rest of Congress to back this needed legislation," said Vicky Scharlau, Executive Director, Washington Winegrowers Association.

"Weather events and fires are continual threats to Pacific Northwest tree fruit orchards. The reauthorization and expansion of the WHIP program will potentially provide a new a tool to growers as they seek to manage the losses associated with these threats. We thank Representative Newhouse for continuing to advocate for our growers in Congress," said Mark Powers, President, Northwest Horticultural Council.

"On behalf of Washington's wine industry, I am grateful to Congressman Newhouse for his leadership to provide much-needed relief to our industry who are still working to recover from the impacts of last year's wildfires. With this year's fire season well underway, this legislation could not be moving forward at a more critical time. We urge Congress to support this important legislation," said Josh McDonald, Executive Director, Washington Wine Institute.

"NMPF is grateful that the ANS approved by the House Agriculture Committee reauthorizes for calendar years 2020 and 2021 the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity and Milk Loss (WHIP-ML) Program which provides indemnity support to dairy producers for milk that was dumped or otherwise removed from commercial channels due to weather-related natural disasters including hurricanes, floods, and snowstorms," said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation.

Background:

Rep. Newhouse first introduced the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act in November 2020 and reintroduced it in January 2021.

The bill was amended by the Agriculture Committee to reauthorize WHIP+ for 2020 and 2021 disasters and to provide relief for a broad range of events, including wildfires, hurricanes, drought, high winds or derechos, freeze, polar vortexes, excessive heat, and smoke taint. The amended legislation also changed the eligibility requirements for drought from a D3 declaration to a D2 declaration for at least 8 consecutive weeks.

Reps. Newhouse and Thompson co-chair the Congressional Wine Caucus, a bipartisan organization of 117 Members from across the United States that advocate for the wine community from grape to glass. In September 2020, wine industry officials sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives outlining the effects of wildfires on the West Coast wine community and urging Congress to reauthorize WHIP+ for 2020.

The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 authorized the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) to help agricultural producers affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. WHIP+ covers losses of crops, trees, bushes, and vines that occurred as a result of hurricanes, wildfires, and other qualifying natural disasters. Click here to learn more about the WHIP+ program.

In Washington state, there are more than 1,000 wineries and over 300 winegrape growers. With 16 unique AVAs across the state, Washington's wine industry continues to grow and produce high-quality varieties that are enjoyed all over the world. In addition, Washington State University is one of the country's leading viticulture research institutions and one of only 14 universities in the United States to offer a Viticulture & Enology degree.

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