December 1, 2015 For Immediate Release WASHINGTON-The U.S. House of Representatives today unveiled text of the Highway Bill (H.R. 22), which is scheduled for debate this week and includes language to restore cuts made to crop insurance during last month's Budget Agreement.  Following an outcry from rural America during the budget debate, Congressional leadership agreed to strip damaging crop insurance provisions through subsequent legislation.    The Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB), American Association of Crop Insurers (AACI) and the National Crop Insurance Service (NCIS) released the following statement about the recent developments:    "The crop insurance industry fully supports efforts to return crop insurance to where it was before the budget bill was passed.  The budget bill contained a disastrous provision that would have devastated crop insurance as we know it today, harming U.S. farmers and taxpayers alike.    "Crop insurance is a successful public-private partnership that has already sustained $12 billion in cuts since 2008. The likely result of additional cuts would be increased industry consolidation, reduced choice in insurance providers for all farmers, and a dramatic decline in the availability and service of policies.  Make no mistake - this cut would jeopardize effective private-sector delivery of crop insurance and take risk management for farmers in the wrong direction.    "We urge Congress to uphold its promise to rural America in the 2014 Farm Bill and to make crop insurance whole again through quick passage of the Highway Bill.  We join with stakeholders across America in thanking Congress for its recognition of crop insurance's role as the centerpiece of farm risk management. We appreciate all who stand up for the public-private partnership that ensures timely service for farmers after times of disaster."