Fwd: Senate Farm Bill Debate - Started Today | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Patty Guerrero (pattypaxearthlink.net) | |
Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 11:52:08 -0700 (PDT) |
I think this is very important, so hope you can call our senators. Thanks, Patty Begin forwarded message: > From: "Adam Warthesen" <adamw [at] landstewardshipproject.org> > Date: May 21, 2013 12:49:23 PM CDT > To: pattypax [at] earthlink.net > Subject: Senate Farm Bill Debate - Started Today > Reply-To: adamw [at] landstewardshipproject.org > > > > Farm Bill Action Alert UPDATE: > > U.S. Senate Farm Bill Debate Has Started > > There are dozens of amendments that will be on tap for the Senate Farm Bill > (S. 954), which is on the Senate floor today. We expect the process to take a > couple of days with debate and votes. A top priority for the Land Stewardship > Project is securing reforms to the uncapped crop subsidies provided through > the federal crop insurance program. See the “Background” section below for > more on federal crop insurance. > > Urge MN Senators to support the Coburn – Durbin amendment:This amendment by > Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) would place an adjusted > gross income limit on crop insurance for those big farm operators and > investors that make over $750,000 a year. The amendment would reduce the > subsidy rate (paid for by taxpayers) provided for the insurance policies > these huge and wealthy operators/investors get. Essentially, millionaires > don’t need the same rate of support as rank-and-file farmers. LSP would like > this subsidy rate to be much lower, but establishing even this limit would be > progress and has never been done before. All other farm programs have similar > limits, and so should crop insurance. > > Both Minnesota U.S. Senators supported this amendment in 2012. > > What we’re hearing: > > With Senator Amy Klobuchar (202-224-3244) we DO NOT have a sense of how she > will vote on the Coburn-Durbin amendment. Senator Klobuchar, who serves on > the Agriculture Committee, did support the Farm Bill package in committee > that unfortunately dropped this crop insurance adjusted gross income limit. > > In talking to Senator Al Franken’s office (202-224-5641), we’re hearing he is > inclined to support the amendment, but that he is getting intense pressure to > vote no. > > Contact Senator Klobuchar & Senator Franken > > If you’ve already made a call, thanks. If you have not, please call today!! > And everyone should feel free to share this alert with family and friends. > How the two Minnesota U.S. Senators vote will be crucial to whether the > amendment is adopted or not. > > Draft message: > > “I’m calling to leave Senator (Klobuchar/Franken) a message. This is > _____________ from __________. > > Federally subsidized crop insurance needs reform. While important for > farmers, it needs to be more accountable and fiscally responsible. I’m asking > the Senator to support the Durbin-Coburn amendment that sets limitations on > crop insurance. The Senator was right to support this in 2012 and should > support it again. > > NOTE: Anybody in Minnesota can make this call. If you are a farmer, make sure > to tell them that. It’s important, given the quick timeframe, to leave a > message on an answering machine if you don’t get ahold of an aide to the > Senators. > > _____________________ > > Background on Federally Subsidized Crop Insurance: > > The largest piece of farm-orientated spending is the nearly $94 billion in > federally subsidized crop insurance — most of which goes for crops like corn, > soybeans and wheat. Farmers buy crop insurance from corporations such as > Wells Fargo, ADM and John Deere, which receive federal consent to offer > policies. These corporations hire crop insurance agents that sell policies to > farmers. On average, 62 cents of every dollar of coverage an individual > farmer purchases is paid for by taxpayers. Another huge cost is the millions > that corporations get paid generously for administering the program. To top > it off, insurance corporations get “reinsurance” with the federal government > for any big losses they might have. > > In 2012, a record year for federally subsidized crop insurance, federal > spending totaled $16 billion; in 2011, the previous record, it was $9.4 > billion. > > Crop insurance is an important tool for helping farmers manage risk. But in > its current form, it accelerates concentration of land ownership and > destruction of the environment. It’s a crop subsidy system with no limits and > no caps on how much producers can receive — facilitating the biggest of the > big farm operators’ expansion efforts (with guaranteed farm revenue) and > large payments to insurance corporations every year. > > Additional background on Durbin-Coburn Amendment: U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, a > Republican from Oklahoma, and Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, > have offered an amendment that attempts to rein in the costs and big > giveaways that come with crop insurance. This amendment would ensure a > fiscally responsible farm safety net by reducing by 15 percentage points the > annual crop insurance premium subsidies for program participants whose > adjusted gross annual income exceeds $750,000 ($1.5 million for most married > participants). This amendment would save close to $1.3 billion over 10 years, > and would ensure that millionaires pay closer to 50 percent of their own > insurance costs. The government currently pays the vast majority of those > costs. This amendment passed 66-33 in 2012 and is winnable again, but it will > be very close. > > Other Crop Insurance amendments LSP is supporting: > > Shaheen-Toomey amendment: This amendment by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and > Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) would place a $50,000 limit on the annual amount of > premium subsidies any one farmer can receive, and would require those > receiving the premium subsidies to be actual working farmers, not non-farm > investors and corporations. The Farm Bill that will be considered on the > floor already has the identical $50,000 cap and "actively engaged in farming" > rule, but it only applies to commodity subsidies, not insurance subsidies. > The Shaheen-Toomey amendment would apply the same, consistent rules to the > entire farm safety net, rather than just a portion of the safety net. It > would help restore equity and fiscal responsibility to the program. > > Gillibrand amendment: Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) is offering this > amendment that reduces the rate of reimbursements that crop insurance > corporations can receive for the policies they offer. Bringing it down will > make the program more accountable and cost less. Those savings, which would > be nearly $4.5 billion, would be applied to food support and nutrition > programs, including the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program aimed > primarily at children. > > > If you have any questions, call LSP’s Adam Warthesen at 612-722-6377 or > e-mail adamw [at] landstewardshipproject.org. > > > > Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy > > > > > No more hurting people----PEACE Martin Richard
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