WASHINGTON (May 15, 2008)—More than 1,000 farm, nutrition, and conservation organizations sent a letter to Congress today asking legislators to override President Bush’s veto of the bipartisan farm bill passed last week. Industry insiders noted that this letter was even larger than a similar group letter sent to Congress last week by 557 groups urging…
WASHINGTON (May 15, 2008) — After weeks of veto threats from the White House, lawmakers handed President Bush a stunning defeat this week by passing the farm bill by a veto proof margin. The U.S. House of Representatives was expected to be a major battleground, with farm bill supporters and opponents lobbying hard for every…
By: Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 14, 2008: [T]his bill is a victory for farmers, a victory for communities, a victory for rural America. I realize that fewer and fewer Americans have a direct connection to the land. One reason is because it’s becoming quite tough to make a living in…
WASHINGTON (May 14, 2008) — A coalition of Texas-based businesses and farmers are united with a clear message to Congress: support the farm bill. A letter to Members of Congress from the Southwest Council of Agribusiness, representing non-profit agricultural organizations, agribusinesses and financial institutions, urged support for the farm bill that is expected to reach…
WASHINGTON (May 14, 2008) — In a letter sent to every member of the Louisiana Congressional delegation yesterday, leaders from the state’s agricultural sector asked lawmakers “to work with others in Washington, D.C. to over-ride the [expected Presidential] veto before it occurs by overwhelmingly approving the farm bill now.” “While none of us achieved everything…
WASHINGTON (May 13, 2008)—More than 500 farm, nutrition, and conservation organizations sent a letter to Congress today urging legislators to vote in favor of the farm bill this week. Industry insiders believe this is one of the largest group letters ever sent on an agricultural issue, showing the unity among groups with varying political and…
Dear Representative: On behalf of the USA Rice Federation and its producer, miller, and merchant members and allied businesses, we urge your vote in support of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (H.R. 2419 – Farm Bill) that is scheduled for a vote this week in both the House and Senate. Even though…
By: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 15, 2008: America’s farm safety net was created during the Great Depression as an essential reform to help support rural communities and protect struggling family farmers from the financial shocks of volatile weather and equally volatile commodity prices. Almost 75 years later the reasons for…
WASHINGTON (May 9, 2008)—Just moments after details of the farm bill conference report surfaced, Republican lawmakers started signaling their support for the new bill, even if that means voting to override a possible veto by President Bush. Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said he is backing the bill…
WASHINGTON (May 7, 2008)—The furor over grocery store sticker shock reached a boiling point last Thursday as the Congressional Joint Economic Committee held a hearing to investigate the impact these food prices are having on everyday Americans. Tom Buis, the president of the National Farmers Union, told the Committee that he and all growers sympathize…