(NAFB) – The American Farm Bureau Federation sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives stating its opposition to the Build Back Better Act.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall says the Act, also known as the reconciliation package, contains some elements that would benefit agriculture.

“However, the massive amount of spending and tax increases required to pay for the plan outweigh the gains we would see in rural America,” Duvall says in the letter. “We appreciate efforts in the House to protect farmers and ranchers by leaving key tax provisions untouched. Thousands of small businesses would still be affected by tax increases, forcing them to pass increased costs to families across the nation.”

He also says the economy is still recovering from COVID-19, supply chains are stressed, and inflation is putting pressure on American pocketbooks.

“Now is not the time to put more burdens on American families struggling to make ends meet,” he says.