Emerson Garners Endorsement Of Missouri Corn Growers Association

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.)–Today the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) announced the organization’s endorsement of Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

“For more than a decade, Congresswoman Emerson has worked diligently to best represent the farmers in her district, consistently stepping up when the agriculture industry was in need,” said MCGA President Billy Thiel, a corn grower from Malta Bend, Mo. “Time after time, Jo Ann has gone to bat for farmers – taking on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on river management, battling unnecessary regulations on farmers and standing beside corn growers in supporting the Renewable Fuel Standard.”

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson received MCGA’s endorsement by a vote of the organization’s board of directors, a governing body comprised of 14 corn farmers from across the state. A longtime friend to Missouri agriculture and the state’s corn growers, Emerson has been recognized by MCGA with the organization’s Public Servant Award in 2003, 2007 and 2009.

“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of the Missouri Corn Growers. Agriculture is a heart-and-soul issue for our congressional district, and corn is the prevalent crop that our hardworking farmers bring to markets around the globe,” Emerson said. “Representing corn and all of Missouri’s agriculture, in good times and in bad times, requires a commonsense view of how important ag markets are and how harmful bureaucratic regulations can be. I’m honored to fight every day for the farm policy, energy policy, trade policy and rural policy to help Missouri farmers feed the nation and the world.”

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Emerson represents the 28 counties of southern Missouri’s agriculturally diverse Eighth District. She also sits on the Appropriations Committee, serving as chairman of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee and a member of the Agriculture Subcommittee and Legislative Branch Subcommittee. Working on behalf of farmers, Emerson strongly opposed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ destruction of the Birds Point Levee and has been diligent in making sure it is fully rebuilt. She is also an advocate for corn and ethanol producers, supporting the continued use of biofuels.

The Missouri Corn Growers Association was formed in 1978 to advance policies that will help protect the rights of over 2,200 farmer-members, build new markets for corn and increase opportunities through partnerships within agriculture and beyond. To learn more, visit www.mocorn.org.