Here is a good update on the Farm Bill, forwarded by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask] Defenders Rural Updates! December 17, 2001 ================================================ 1. Senate Farm Bill - Victories Thus Far 2. Amendments to Support 3. Amendments to Oppose 4. SENATE TIMELINE: "We Wish You a Farm Bill Christmas" ================================================ SENATE FARM BILL: VICTORIES THUS FAR Thanks to the unyielding pressure of farmers, rural advocates, and environmentalists, we have scored some great victories in the opening days of the Senate debate on the Farm Bill. Two important amendments to improve market conditions passed: the Feingold-Grassley-Harkin Amendment prohibiting forced binding arbitration clauses in agricultural contracts passed 64 to 31; and the The Johnson/Wellstone/Grassley amendment to ban packer ownership of livestock within 14 days of slaughter, passed 51 to 46. Senators also voted to table (defeat) an amendment offered by Senator Bond (R-MO) that would have allowed the President to waive any environmental law that affects farming. So far, so good... but we still need your help! Senators need to hear their constituents standing up for a Farm Bill that works for family farmers, rural communities, air, water and wildlife. The articles that follow describe several of the amendments that critically need your support and those that you should ask your Senators to oppose. AMENDMENTS TO SUPPORT Please call your Senators (dial 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator) and ask them to support the following amendments: 1) the Wellstone Amendment, which institutes safeguards to ensure that the EQIP program doesn't allow taxpayer funds to be used for the expansion of factory farms - CAFOs; 2) the Durbin Amendment, which protects native prairie and other grasslands by denying farm commodity program and crop insurance subsidies on non-cropland converted to crop production; 3) the Dorgan- Grassley-Johnson-Hagel-Nelson-Lugar-Torricelli- Wellstone amendment to close the loops in the current payment limitation system; 4) the Harkin Amendment, which authorizes production contract oversight by the Grain Inspectors, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA); and 5) the Dorgan-Johnson amendment banning captive supplies. AMENDMENTS TO OPPOSE Just as farmers, rural communities and wildlife have much to gain from the amendments currently on the table, there is also plenty of work afoot to remove these gains and to turn the Farm Bill to anti- environmental and anti-family farm purposes. First and foremost, please ask your Senators to oppose the Cochran-Roberts amendment, which deletes the conservation security program in the Harkin bill, and lowers funding for the Farmland Protection Program and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) is planning to offer an amendment that would essentially turn the crop disaster relief program into "takings" amendment that would pay producers to comply with federal natural resource regulations and water law. Senator Burns R-MT) plans to offer to amendments that would weaken the Conservation Reserve Program. And Senator Hutchinson (D-AR) will probably offer an amendment that would exempt the USDA from complying with environmental and bird protection laws when it kills migratory birds to protect crops. Please ask your Senators to oppose these amendments. For more information on Farm Bill amendments, please visit www.familyfarmer.org or www.sustainableagriculture.net SENATE TIMELINE: "WE WISH YOU A FARM BILL CHRISTMAS" For a Congress that at one point had hoped to adjourn in early October, the session keeps right on going. On Thursday, December 13, the Senate failed to come to agreement to limit debate on the Farm Bill. With a total of 96 amendments for consideration, this means that things could go on for a long time. Consideration of these amendments is expected to resume on Tuesday, December 18 and continue the entire week. While the Senate is not likely to be in session on the national holidays of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they are threatening to work on many of the remaining days this year. Senator Daschle stated at the close of last week's debate, "I hope we can complete our work this coming week. I would not want to have to come back after that, but we will entertain the possibility of coming back additional days after Christmas, if need be, to get this job done." At issue is the fact that new budget predictions are likely to come out shortly after the second session of the 107th Congress begins on January 23, and Senators want to finish a bill before they are told they no longer have the money to spend. No word on a timeline for the conference to reconcile the Senate bill with the House version. Rural Updates! Scotty Johnson and Aimee Delach National Rural Community Outreach Campaign [log in to unmask] Defenders of Wildlife Visit our website at www.familyfarmer.org 520 623-9653 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]