Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra has introduced a bill, H.R. 3821 in the U.S. House that includes losses from last year’s Derecho Storm that swept across Iowa and attached it to the WHIP Plus program. The WHIP plus is the Wildfire Indemnity Plus program from USDA used to provide financial help to farmers and ranchers who suffered loses from certain natural disasters in 2020.

He attempted to pass Derecho relief aid as an amendment to the 1.9 trillion reconciliation bill last year but it failed to get into that package. Feenstra says now that it’s a self standing bill he thinks he’ll get better support for the measure.

Feenstra says the DERECHO assistance is still badly needed as it could make the difference of some producers staying in business or going belly up.

Earlier this spring Feenstra led the effort asking House leaders to include full funding for the WHIP Plus program.