On Thursday, a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to Vilsack that commended USDA for proposing a Good Performance Refund program aimed at strengthening the federal crop insurance program.

While the senators stated they thought the GPR program was well-intentioned, they expressed concerns that the eligibility criteria would benefit few producers from limited regions of the country. They also expressed concerns that the program was not designed in the most cost-effective manner and falls short of meeting the intent of the law. The senators offered to continue to work with Vilsack to improve the program and address the concerns.

The letter was sent by Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.). It was also signed by Sens. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.).

Text of letter