From: Natl Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001
Subject: URGENT!!! ACTION NEEDED IMMEDIATELY ON FARM BILL!!!
CRITICAL ACTION NEEDED IN HOUSE AND SENATE IMMEDIATELY!!
Your Call Can Make The Difference!
TAKE TWO SIMPLE ACTIONS - CALL THE HOUSE & SENATE!
HOUSE ACTION: CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE. HOUSE SWITCHBOARD:
(202) 225-3121.
Disastrous House Farm Bill (H.R.2646) Could Come Up for Vote on House Floor
this Thursday - potentially setting agriculture policy for next ten years.
Call Your Representative today with a dual message:
Message 1:
Oppose the Rule* that would allow the disastrous H.R. 2646 "Farm Security
Act of 2001" to come to the floor for debate and a vote.
The result? The Bill would be sent back to House Agriculture Committee
drawing board. This would give us an opportunity to:
- Call for fixes to the worst provisions;
- Push for inclusion of positive initiatives that work for farmers,
workers, consumers and the environment;
- Demand the full, open and broad-based public and congressional debate
this important bill deserves.
* For legislation to come to the floor of the House, the Rules Committee
must propose a Rule that determines such things as how much time is allowed
for debate and how amendments are submitted. The full House then votes on
this Rule. One quick way to get a bill sent back to Committee for a
complete overhaul, is to defeat the Rule that allows the bill to be debated
in the first place.
Message 2:
If the bill does make it to the House floor for debate, VOTE NO ON H.R.
2646. All Members of the House should oppose final passage of this bill
that was rushed through the House Ag. Committee with only 15 hours of
debate, when Committee members hadn't even seen the bill until the night
before it was passed. It is anti-democratic, anti-family farmer,
anti-competition, anti-environment and anti-justice, and must be completely
re-written.
*********************************************************************
SENATE ACTION. CALL YOUR SENATORS. SENATE SWITCHBOARD
(202) 224-3121.
Both the House and Senate appropriators have passed Fiscal Year 2002 (FY02)
agricultural appropriation bills. Because of your hard work, many of the
programs we support have received increased funding in either the House or
Senate bill, BUT SOME IMPORTANT PROGRAMS STILL NEED ADDITIONAL FY02 FUNDING
NOT INCLUDED IN THESE BILLS. Many Senators supported this additional
funding in an emergency package that was narrowly defeated. Now we have
another chance to get this funding into FY02 agricultural appropriations.
CALL YOUR SENATORS NOW action may occur on this funding as early as
Wednesday September 12. You can reach your Senator by phone through the
Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
HERE IS THE MESSAGE ON THE PROGRAMS THAT NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDS:
CONSERVATION PROGRAMS: include $200 million for the Wetlands Reserve
Program; $7 million for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program; and $40
million for the Farmland Protection Program. Without this funding, these
programs will have no funding in FY02. Also provide an additional $250
million for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH & EDUCATION PROGRAM (SARE): include an
additional $3 million for SARE to fund producer grants.
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION COST-SHARE: include $3.5 million to help organic
farmers and ranchers meet the costs of the organic certification programs.
SENIOR FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM: include $20 million to keep this
program going in FY02.
VALUE-ADDED RURAL BUSINESS AND COOP PROGRAMS: include $40 million so that
these programs will be funded in FY02.
National Campaign For Sustainable Agriculture
P.O. Box 396
Pine Bush, New York 12566
Phone: 845-744-8448 Fax: 845-744-8477
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.SustainableAgriculture.net
If you would like to join our free Action Alert Network, please e-mail us
your name, address, phone, fax, and e-mail. Please let us know if your
contact information changes!
Keep the faith!
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