PHONE CALLS URGENTLY NEEDED TO HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS AG SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS!!
Funding is in jeopardy for the Fund for Rural America as created in the 1996
farm bill. Please call immediately to let subcommittee members in your state
(see list below) know that these programs are important to you and need full
funding as called for in the farm bill.
With the House Appropriations Ag Subcommittee vote ("markup") coming as early
as May 30, we urgently need to ask House subcommittee members to support the
Fund. They should also support other programs that Campaign members
prioritize as urgently needing funding (with discretionary, not mandatory
dollars). Please make the following points:
1. The Fund for Rural America provides grants for rural development and
agricultural research that increase farm profitability, enhance natural
resources and increase economic opportunities in rural communities. Such
work is needed in your state and community.
2. Funding for the Fund should be in addition to annual FY97 appropriations
for research and rural development, for which sustainable ag supporters
around the nation fighting. This funding is needed to work through existing
rural development backlogs and to add money to research and extension in
areas that, due to pressures on discretionary spending, have been
underfunded.
3. There are better ways to make up the budget shortfall than cutting the
Fund. These include repealing loopholes that enable the nation's largest
farms to evade the farm commodity program payment limitation and receive six
figure payments.
4. We urge that no limitations, restrictions, or earmarks be placed on the
Fund in the appropriations bill. It should be fully funded and allowed to
operate at the levels specified in the farm bill and be given a chance to
work
Background - The brand new Fund for Rural America was created in the 1996
farm bill, to be awarded as grants for rural development and research that
increase farm profitability, enhance natural resources and increase economic
opportunities in rural communities. USDA is developing an implementation
plan that we hope will clarify the Fund's scope of work. Based on language
we championed in the farm bill, it should fund a wide range of projects, from
farmworker housing to drinking water, and from assistance for beginning and
minority farmers to direct marketing, value-added, and research initiatives
supporting sustainable agriculture and family farm opportunities.
Congress recognized the importance of the visionary Fund for Rural America by
funding it at $100 million a year for three years. Its mandatory funding
protects it somewhat from annual appropriations fights. Unfortunately, some
appropriations committee members are affronted that their full funding
prerogative was removed on such a significant program - which appears to
translate into lack of support for the program.
Early this week, when the House Budget Committee set the overall framework
within which the FY97 appropriations process will proceed, they proposed deep
($699 million!) cuts in ag funding! Ag Appropriations leadership says that
with cuts of this size, even programs that normally would receive mandatory
funding, and thus be spared the appropriations axe, are fair game to cut.
Some proposals include substantially or even totally cutting the Fund for
Rural America as well as major conservation and nutrition programs also
slated for mandatory funding.
PLEASE CALL APPROPRIATIONS AG SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS IN YOUR STATE A.S.A.P. TO
PROTECT THE FUND!!
House ag appropriations subcommittee members and phone numbers are as
follows:
Joseph Skeen, New Mexico (R-2nd), Subcommittee Chair, (202) 225-2365, aide
John Ryan
John Myers, Indiana (R-7th), (202) 225-5805, aide Doug Wasitis
James T. Walsh, New York (R-27th), (202) 225-3701, aide Ron Anderson
Jay Dickey, Arkansas (R-4th), (202) 225-3772, aide Steve Carey
Jack Kingston, Georgia (R-1st), (202) 225-5831, aide Diana Burns
Frank Riggs, California (R-1st), (202) 225-3311, aide Hayden Milberg
George Nethercutt, Washington (R-5th), (202) 225-2006, aide Mike Gruber
Bob Livingston, Louisiana (R-1st), (202) 225-3015, aide Paul Cambon
Richard Durbin, Illinois (D-20th), Ranking Minority, (202) 225-5271, aide Jim
Jepsen
Marcy Kaptur, Ohio (D-9th), (202) 225-4146, aide Bobbi Jeanquart
Ray Thornton, Arkansas (D-2nd) (202) 225-2506, aide Ed Fry
Vic Fazio, California (D-3d) (202) 225-5716, aide Don Dearmon
Dave Obey, Wisconsin (D-7th) (202) 225-3365, aide Paul Carver
THANK YOU FOR PROMPT ACTION!! KNOW THAT YOUR ACTION IN THE PAST HAS BEEN THE
DECIDING FACTOR IN PROTECTING FUNDING FOR SUSTAINABLE AG PROGRAMS.
For more information, feel free to call Margaret Krome, the Campaign for
Sustainable Agriculture's Appropriations Coordinator (608) 238-1440 or Ferd
Hoefner, with the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (202) 547-5754.