Rural & Agriculture Council of America

10/06/2025

Why do PBMs (Pharmacy Benefit Managers) matter for rural America and main street pharmacies? Small-town access to affordable prescriptions depends on fair PBM policies.
Discover what's at stake.
Read the full article:
🔗 https://www.ruralag.org/post/why-pbms-matter-for-rural-america-and-main-street-pharmacies

Rural communities are the backbone of American agriculture, feeding the country and sustaining countless small businesses, including the heart of Main Street—local pharmacies. Yet right now, misguided legislative and regulatory attacks are threatening to destabilize this vital link in rural health...

08/19/2025

The Rural & Agriculture Council of America is taking a stand to protect the future of rural pharmacies. As trusted healthcare centers, rural pharmacies are essential to the health and vitality of our communities—but today, they’re facing unprecedented challenges. That’s why we’re launching our latest advocacy effort calling on policy leaders and the public to speak out in support.

Join us by signing the petition to safeguard access to pharmacy care in rural America:
👉 act.protectpharmacies.com/sign-now
Together, we can preserve local healthcare, support rural jobs, and keep our communities healthy and strong.

Lawmakers are pushing new legislation that would raise prescription drug prices, force local pharmacies to close, and leave many communities without access to the medicine they need. These proposals, backed by Big Pharma, put working families and rural residents at risk.  

05/19/2025

The House Budget Committee approved the House Reconciliation bill last night. It will still need to pass through House Rules and on the House floor, where Republicans have a razor-thin majority.

Why do we care? Included within are key components of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) which are set to expire and are critical to farmers, ranchers and small business owners. These include:

✅Reduction of the corporate income tax rate
✅100% bonus depreciation tax credit for equipment and machinery
✅100% research & development tax credit in the year that expense occurred

As stated in this article, "The TCJA helped lower the tax burden for tens of millions of small businesses, many of them operating in rural communities. Retaining a competitive tax code, including the small business deduction, immediate R&D and equipment expensing, and a low corporate tax rate, is critical for rural and Main Street small businesses like mine."

Read more here:

In this opinion piece, Mike Limberhand of the Rural and Agriculture Council of America argues that extending expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is critical to the health of rural small businesses.

02/14/2025

"When federal policies pick industry winners and losers, it undercuts critical investments, job creation and tax revenues that are significant enough to support or derail rural prosperity. This approach sets a troubling precedent regardless of which administration is in the White House.

Energy projects span far beyond installing turbines or wells; they bolster communities by creating jobs and supply chain opportunities. For rural America, energy development has always been about diversifying and securing opportunities."

For decades, rural America has powered the nation, representing America’s work ethic, grit and ingenuity. Rural communities and workers are integral to

01/31/2025

"We have seen how rural America stands at the forefront of the energy economy—from traditional energy production to new innovative sectors like wind and renewables," said Mike Limberhand, RACA Policy Chair. "This order walks us back from ensuring a balanced energy approach that rural families rely on for economic strength and growth."

See more on RACA's statement regarding the EO to halt Wind Lease Sales and Interior Review here:https://www.ruralag.org/_files/ugd/948e44_c22fcf0c932c4d8999a23d7575a10114.pdf

01/30/2025

RACA remains committed to ensuring all rural Americans have access to high speed broadband and reliable internet access

01/30/2025

“RACA believes that it is vital that those across rural America have access to high speed broadband and reliable wireless to remain competitive with global and urban communities. "

Read more on our statement here:https://www.ruralag.org/_files/ugd/948e44_38b92170bc2645848d123ac9e7e622a4.pdf

09/12/2024

We couldn’t agree more with Rose Tryon. Taking a one-size-fits-all approach to zoning in rural communities is a lose-lose for citizens and businesses alike.

The debate over property rights versus zoning regulations is particularly challenging in rural communities. While zoning laws work in urban areas for organized development, in rural areas, they infringe on our fundamental rights as property owners, hurting our ability to use our land as we see fit.....

09/06/2024

Where are we at with a farm bill? American Farm Bureau highlighted some key issues for ag here…

The farm bill is already a year late, the stakes are high and time is running out.

03/20/2024

Check out this piece in the Des The Des Moines Register on how the combination of CN-Iowa Northern railways will positively impact rural and ag communities:

Opinion: Production costs are at record highs, and this combination could offer Iowa farmers a reprieve, writes Heather Hampton Knodle.

11/30/2023

In a letter to Congressional leaders, RACA and six other organizations urged the extension of several tax provisions that are set to expire or have already expired.

Read the full letter below.

08/30/2023

Did you know? In 2022, China was the 3rd largest supplier of ag products to the U.S.

That's a 10% YOY increase to a value of $9.5B.

Canned fruits & vegetables, grown and packaged in China, were one of the top imported products.

Imports of canned meat since 2018 are up over 400%.

It is extremely concerning that the U.S. continues to allow imports from countries that don't have to meet the same high standards of production and that enable forced slave labor on farms, ranches and in their processing facilities.

Listen to the full audio at the link below.

The Rural & Agriculture Council of America would like to see the Farm Bill level the playing field for U.S. producers.