Please note Talking Point #1 below -
Thanks,
Ericka Dana
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From: National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001
Subject: URGENT ACTION NEEDED -- Comprehensive, progressive Farm Bill budget
at risk!
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
P.O. Box 396, Pine Bush, NY 12566, (845) 744-8448, Fax: (845) 744-8477;
email: [log in to unmask]
www.SustainableAgriculture.net <http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/>
URGENT ACTION NEEDED!
(March 9, 2001 - April 9, 2001)
CONTACT BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO SUPPORT A COMPREHENSIVE, PROGRESSIVE
FARM BILL
OPPOSE ALL ATTEMPTS TO WRITE A COMMODITY PROGRAM-ONLY FARM BILL
Right now, the Budget Committees are writing a Budget Resolution that will
govern spending decisions for the next several years. Pressure is mounting
for a very substantial increase in the budget to as much as $20 billion per
year for only farm commodity programs. If we don't speak out for substantial
new funding for conservation, stewardship incentives, marketing
alternatives, coop and business development, etc., in the forthcoming
Budget Resolution, we may be stuck with a commodity program-only farm bill.
To be able to move sustainable Farm Bill initiatives related to
conservation, research, marketing, entrepreneurship, beginning farmers and
ranchers, etc. in next year's farm bill, we need to help secure a multi-year
budget plan that provides the resources to get those initiatives funded.
INSIST ON A BUDGET BASELINE THAT INCLUDES:
AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH, OUTREACH, CONSERVATION, AND
FOOD AND NUTRITION PROGRAMS
Tell your Senator and Representative that:
1. You support a significant increase in the budget resolution for
agriculture and for agricultural conservation and natural resource programs,
but are opposed to an increase in the budget resolution that assumes the
bulk of the funding is only for commodity programs. There are urgent needs
related to research, business and co-op development, beginning farmers,
civil rights, natural resource protection, and stewardship incentives that
need to be a big part of the mix for Farm Bill spending. Tell members of
Congress on the Budget Committee to keep all options open for farm bill
consideration next year.
2. For this year's agricultural appropriations bill, including any
supplemental emergency appropriations for agriculture*, the budget needs to
provide increases for critical conservation, credit, rural development,
research and other needs. * Note: another farm emergency spending bill --
called a "supplemental" or "emergency" appropriation -- is expected this
year as has been the case each of the past three years.
The budget resolution is expected to be voted on in the House and Senate
Budget Committees and then on the House and Senate floor by the time
Congress leaves for the Easter recess in early April. Committee action is
likely before the end of March and drafting is already underway. So please
call or write today!
(A future action notice will discuss recommendations on programs for the
Agricultural Appropriations subcommittee.)
Personalized, hard copy letters direct from constituents are most effective.
Please put the above points in your own words, and make sure your letter
indicates how important these issues are to your community -- farm --
business. See instructions and contact information below.
PLEASE WRITE OR CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE TODAY!
LOCATE YOUR STATE BELOW, AND WRITE OR CALL YOUR SENATOR AND/OR
CONGRESSMEMBER. [Please do NOT email a letter -- emails do not carry nearly
as much weight!]
If your state is NOT listed below, please address your letters to the House
and Senate Budget Committee Chairs:
Sen. Pete Domenici (NM) Ph: 202-224-6621 and Rep. Jim Nussle,
(IA-2) Ph: 202-225-2911
To write to a:
Senator: The Honorable__________, United States Senate, Washington, DC
20510
Representative: The Honorable __________, United States House of
Representatives, Washington, DC 20515
SENATE AND HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBERS
All phone numbers below are in the 202 area code.
CALIFORNIA Rep. Gary Miller (CA-41) 225-3201
Rep. Mike Honda (CA-15) 225-2631
Rep. John Doolittle (CA-4) 225-2511
COLORADO Sen. Wayne Allard (CO) 224-5941
FLORIDA Sen. Bill Nelson (FL) 224-5274,
Rep. Adam Putnam (FL-12) 225-1252
Rep. Jim Davis (FL-11) 225-3376
GEORGIA Rep. Mac Collins (GA-3) 225-5901
ILLINOIS Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10) 225-4835
Rep. Ray LaHood (IL-18) 225-6201
IOWA Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA) 224-3744
Rep. Jim Nussle, Chair (IA-2) 225-2911
KANSAS Rep. Jim Ryun (KS-2) 225-6601
Rep. Dennis Moore (KS-3) 225-2865
KENTUCKY Rep. Ernie Fletcher (KY-6) 225-4706
MAINE Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME) 224-5344
MARYLAND Sen. Paul Sarbanes (MD) 224-4524
MASSACHUSETTS Rep. Michael Capuano (MA-8) 225-5111
MICHIGAN Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI) 224-4822
Rep. Peter Hoekstra (MI-2) 225-4401
MINNESOTA Rep. Gil Gutknecht (MN-1) 225-2472
MISSISSIPPI Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-2) 225-5876
MISSOURI Sen. Christopher Bond (MO) 224-5721
NEBRASKA Sen. Charles Hagel (NE) 224-4224
NEW HAMPSHIRE Sen. Judd Gregg (NH) 224-3324
Rep. John Sununu (NH-1) 225-5456
Rep. Charles Bass (NH-2) 225-5206
NEW JERSEY Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) 225-5801
NEW YORK Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) 224-4451
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4) 225-5516
NEW MEXICO Sen. Pete Domenici (NM) 224-6621
NORTH CAROLINA Rep. Eva Clayton (NC-1) 225-3101
Rep. David Price (NC-4) 225-1784
NORTH DAKOTA Sen. Kent Conrad (ND) 224-2043
OHIO Rep. Rob Portman (OH-2) 225-3164
OKLAHOMA Sen. Don Nickles (OK) 224-5754
OREGON Sen. Gordon Smith (OR) 224-3753
Sen. Ron Wyden (OR) 224-5244
Rep. Darlene Hooley (OR-5) 225-5711
PENNSYLVANIA Rep. Pat Toomey (PA-15) 225-6411
Rep. Joe Hoeffel (PA-13) 225-6111
OKLAHOMA Rep. Wes Watkins (OK-3) 225-4565
SOUTH CAROLINA Sen. Ernest Hollings (SC) 224-6121
Rep. Henry Brown (SC-1) 225-3176
Rep. John Spratt (SC-5) 225-5501
SOUTH DAKOTA Sen. Tim Johnson (SD) 224-5824
TENNESSEE Sen. William Frist (TN) 224-3344
Rep. Van Hilleary (TN-4) 225-6831
Rep. Bob Clement (TN-5) 225-4311
TEXAS Sen. Phil Gramm (TX) 224-2934
Rep. Mac Thornberry (TX-13) 225-3706
Rep. John Culberson (TX-7) 225-2571
Rep. Ken Bentsen (TX-25) 225-7508
Rep. Kay Granger (TX-12) 225-5071
VIRGINIA Rep. Ed Schrock (VA-2) 225-4215
Rep. James Moran (VA-8) 225-4376
WASHINGTON Sen. Patty Murray (WA) 224-2621
Rep. Doc Hastings (WA-4) 225-5816
Rep. Jim McDermott (WA-7) 225-3106
WEST VIRGINIA Sen. Robert Byrd (WV) 224-3954
WISCONSIN Sen. Russell Feingold (WI) 224-5323
Rep. Jerry Kleczka (WI-4) 225-4572
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (WI-2) 225-2906
Please send the National Campaign a copy of your letter:
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