Fwd: Farm Bill: Brown Amendment passes! Calls needed on Other Key Amendments
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Renee Catacalos
Jun 19, 2012, 6:38:15 PM6/19/12
to Advocacy-Policy Group
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From: Mark Schonbeck <ma...@abundantdawn.org>
Date: Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 6:33 PM
Subject: Farm Bill: Brown Amendment passes! Calls needed on Other Key Amendments
To: Mark Schonbeck <ma...@abundantdawn.org>
From: Mark Schonbeck <ma...@abundantdawn.org>
Date: Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 6:33 PM
Subject: Farm Bill: Brown Amendment passes! Calls needed on Other Key Amendments
To: Mark Schonbeck <ma...@abundantdawn.org>
Dear All,
The Senate is debating and voting on 73 Amendments to the 2012 Senate Farm Bill this afternoon and tomorrow.
Already, we have had several wins:
The Brown Amendment to restore funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, the Value Added Producer Grant Program, and the Rural Micro-entrepreneur Assistance Program passed 55-44.
An Amendment by Grassley and Johnson to put payment caps on marketing loans passed 75-24.
An amendment to kill the Value Added Producer Grant program was soundly defeated 38-61.
Several amendments that sought to undermine the Clean Water Act were NOT among the 73 that were selected for consideration during last night's procedural negotiations - and are thus dead, at least on the Senate side. (They may rear their ugly heads again when the House farm bill process moves forward - but more on that in a few weeks).
To those of you who have made one or more calls in response to recent Farm Bill Action Alerts - thank you so much! Your input to our Senators was definitely a contributing factor in the successes this afternoon, especially the Brown Amendment. It sure made my day to see results from our collective efforts - I hope it does the same for you!
Your calls early tomorrow morning (Wednesday June 20) on the following are vital:
The Chambliss Amendment, SA 2438 would place conservation compliance requirements on farmers seeking to participate in Crop Insurance subsidy programs. Basically, they cannot obtain federal support for crop insurance on any sod (pasture, rangeland, prairie) or wetland converted to cropland. This is identical to the Cardin Amendment mentioned in earlier e-mails - and it has been greatly strengthened by the fact that a Republican is now leading the charge on an Amendment first offered by a very conservation minded Democrat. We all know that saving our soil and wetlands is a nonpartisan issue - and now the Senate acknowledges it. Thus, despite some opposition from Big Ag, this "sodsaver / swampsaver" reform to crop insurance has real potential to become part of the 2012 Farm Bill.
Please ask our Senators to give their active support to the Chambliss Conservation Compliance Amendment SA 2438. Multiple citizen calls to our Senators in support of this Amendment can make the difference!
NOTE - in your message, be sure to specify the Chambliss Conservation Compliance Amendment for Crop Insurance, and its number SA 2438.
The Toomey Amendment, SA 2217 would kill the Organic Certification Cost Share program, on which some 6,100 organic farmers nationwide depend in order to obtain or renew their USDA Organic Certification each year. Many or most of these participants in the program could lose access to USDA Organic Certification if the Cost Share program is de-funded.
As the Organic Farming Research Foundation has pointed out, the Organic Certification Cost Share helps new farmers enter the certified organic market, enhances domestic certified organic production so that we can meet soaring demand for organic food largely from domestic suppliers, and enhances the diversity of farms seeking and maintaining their USDA Organic Certification.
Please ask our Senators to vote NO on the Toomey Amendment. If you are a USDA certified organic farmer who is using or has used the Organic Certification Cost Share, tell your story, and state honestly how your operation would be affected if the Organic Certification Cost Share were to come to an end.
The Coburn-Durbin Amendment, SA 2439 would reform the Crop Insurance Programs (which now disburse somewhat more tax dollars annually than the notorious commodity crop subsidies) to reduce somewhat the % subsidy for crop insurance for the highest income farmers ($750K gross proceeds /year individual, $1.5M/year couple or family). Although it is a modest effort toward reform (and a stronger amendment to place an actual per-farm cap on crop insurance subisdy failed to make the list of 73 amendments to be voted on), it is an important symbolic step in the right direction, and is considered a high priority by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
Another Amendment introduced by Senator Chambilss, SA 2432 would kill the Farmers' Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP, formerly FMPP) - so we definitely want to oppose this one. This is why it is so important to specify which Chambliss amendment to support - and which to vote NO on.
In Virginia, to make calls to our Senators on any of the above:
Senator Jim Webb - 202-224-4024. Ask to speak with Trevor Dean. If he is unavailable, leave message on his extension.
Senator Mark Warner - 202-224-2023. Ask to speak with Anna Payne. If she is unavailable, leave message on her extension.
You can also e-mail the Senators' aides - but we should use their e-mails with some discretion. For example, if you are a farmer who would be directly impacted by any of the above Amendments (certification cost share, or other), it may be appropriate to write your story in an e-mail. Name the Amendment and your position in the Subject Line; e.g., "Support SA 2438 - Promote Good Stewardship by my Farming Neighbors" or "Oppose SA 2217 - My Organic Farm Depends on Cost Share". Trevor Dean's e-mail is Trevo...@webb.senate.gov, and Anna Payne's is Anna_...@warner.senate.gov.
If you are not in Virginia:
Call each of your Senators' offices in DC and ask to speak to the legislative assistant who works on Farm Bill issues. If they are not available, leave a message on his/her phone. To find out your Senators' phone numbers, dial the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121.
I will keep you posted of developments on the Senate Farm Bill.
Farm Bill action in the House begins next week, with "mark up" (initial draft) by the House Agriculture Committee, followed by floor debate and vote sometime after the July 4 holiday. Look for one or two action alerts next week related to House action, and then a lull for a couple weeks, which will give us all a break from this fast pace.
Many thanks once again for all you do to help bring about a more sustainable and rational Farm Bill!
The Senate is debating and voting on 73 Amendments to the 2012 Senate Farm Bill this afternoon and tomorrow.
Already, we have had several wins:
The Brown Amendment to restore funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, the Value Added Producer Grant Program, and the Rural Micro-entrepreneur Assistance Program passed 55-44.
An Amendment by Grassley and Johnson to put payment caps on marketing loans passed 75-24.
An amendment to kill the Value Added Producer Grant program was soundly defeated 38-61.
Several amendments that sought to undermine the Clean Water Act were NOT among the 73 that were selected for consideration during last night's procedural negotiations - and are thus dead, at least on the Senate side. (They may rear their ugly heads again when the House farm bill process moves forward - but more on that in a few weeks).
To those of you who have made one or more calls in response to recent Farm Bill Action Alerts - thank you so much! Your input to our Senators was definitely a contributing factor in the successes this afternoon, especially the Brown Amendment. It sure made my day to see results from our collective efforts - I hope it does the same for you!
Your calls early tomorrow morning (Wednesday June 20) on the following are vital:
The Chambliss Amendment, SA 2438 would place conservation compliance requirements on farmers seeking to participate in Crop Insurance subsidy programs. Basically, they cannot obtain federal support for crop insurance on any sod (pasture, rangeland, prairie) or wetland converted to cropland. This is identical to the Cardin Amendment mentioned in earlier e-mails - and it has been greatly strengthened by the fact that a Republican is now leading the charge on an Amendment first offered by a very conservation minded Democrat. We all know that saving our soil and wetlands is a nonpartisan issue - and now the Senate acknowledges it. Thus, despite some opposition from Big Ag, this "sodsaver / swampsaver" reform to crop insurance has real potential to become part of the 2012 Farm Bill.
Please ask our Senators to give their active support to the Chambliss Conservation Compliance Amendment SA 2438. Multiple citizen calls to our Senators in support of this Amendment can make the difference!
NOTE - in your message, be sure to specify the Chambliss Conservation Compliance Amendment for Crop Insurance, and its number SA 2438.
The Toomey Amendment, SA 2217 would kill the Organic Certification Cost Share program, on which some 6,100 organic farmers nationwide depend in order to obtain or renew their USDA Organic Certification each year. Many or most of these participants in the program could lose access to USDA Organic Certification if the Cost Share program is de-funded.
As the Organic Farming Research Foundation has pointed out, the Organic Certification Cost Share helps new farmers enter the certified organic market, enhances domestic certified organic production so that we can meet soaring demand for organic food largely from domestic suppliers, and enhances the diversity of farms seeking and maintaining their USDA Organic Certification.
Please ask our Senators to vote NO on the Toomey Amendment. If you are a USDA certified organic farmer who is using or has used the Organic Certification Cost Share, tell your story, and state honestly how your operation would be affected if the Organic Certification Cost Share were to come to an end.
The Coburn-Durbin Amendment, SA 2439 would reform the Crop Insurance Programs (which now disburse somewhat more tax dollars annually than the notorious commodity crop subsidies) to reduce somewhat the % subsidy for crop insurance for the highest income farmers ($750K gross proceeds /year individual, $1.5M/year couple or family). Although it is a modest effort toward reform (and a stronger amendment to place an actual per-farm cap on crop insurance subisdy failed to make the list of 73 amendments to be voted on), it is an important symbolic step in the right direction, and is considered a high priority by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
Another Amendment introduced by Senator Chambilss, SA 2432 would kill the Farmers' Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP, formerly FMPP) - so we definitely want to oppose this one. This is why it is so important to specify which Chambliss amendment to support - and which to vote NO on.
In Virginia, to make calls to our Senators on any of the above:
Senator Jim Webb - 202-224-4024. Ask to speak with Trevor Dean. If he is unavailable, leave message on his extension.
Senator Mark Warner - 202-224-2023. Ask to speak with Anna Payne. If she is unavailable, leave message on her extension.
You can also e-mail the Senators' aides - but we should use their e-mails with some discretion. For example, if you are a farmer who would be directly impacted by any of the above Amendments (certification cost share, or other), it may be appropriate to write your story in an e-mail. Name the Amendment and your position in the Subject Line; e.g., "Support SA 2438 - Promote Good Stewardship by my Farming Neighbors" or "Oppose SA 2217 - My Organic Farm Depends on Cost Share". Trevor Dean's e-mail is Trevo...@webb.senate.gov, and Anna Payne's is Anna_...@warner.senate.gov.
If you are not in Virginia:
Call each of your Senators' offices in DC and ask to speak to the legislative assistant who works on Farm Bill issues. If they are not available, leave a message on his/her phone. To find out your Senators' phone numbers, dial the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121.
I will keep you posted of developments on the Senate Farm Bill.
Farm Bill action in the House begins next week, with "mark up" (initial draft) by the House Agriculture Committee, followed by floor debate and vote sometime after the July 4 holiday. Look for one or two action alerts next week related to House action, and then a lull for a couple weeks, which will give us all a break from this fast pace.
Many thanks once again for all you do to help bring about a more sustainable and rational Farm Bill!
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