WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the U.S. House of Representatives failure to pass a comprehensive farm bill, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released the following statement:
“Today the House broke a 40-year bipartisan tradition of passing a comprehensive Farm Bill,” Brown said. “This approach was opposed by more than 530 agriculture, commodity, and rural development groups because they know that splitting the bill will hurt American agriculture. The Senate was able to pass a strong, bipartisan bill that implemented critical farm safety reforms and saved taxpayers more than the House bill. It’s time for the House to put American farmers and producers ahead of partisan politics.”
After failing to pass a comprehensive, five-year farm bill in 2012 and again this year, the House passed partisan legislation that did not include funding for critical nutrition programs that support Ohio families, children, and veterans. Last week, more than 530 agricultural and rural development organizations urged Speaker Boehner to vote on the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, a five-year, bipartisan bill the Senate passed in June. Brown, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, included a number of provisions into the base text of the bill in addition to amendments that were included in the Senate Agriculture Committee mark-up. A summary of key provisions of the farm bill is HERE.
Full text of the letter to Speaker Boehner is below.
July 2, 2013
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker of the House
United States House of Representatives
H-232 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Boehner:
America’s agriculture, conservation, rural development, finance, forestry, energy and crop insurance companies and organizations strongly urge you to bring the Farm Bill (H.R. 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013) back to the Floor as soon as possible. This important legislation supports our nation’s farmers, ranchers, forest owners, food security, natural resources and wildlife habitats, rural communities, and the 16 million Americans whose jobs directly depend on the agriculture industry.
Farm bills represent a delicate balance between America’s farm, nutrition, conservation, and other priorities, and accordingly require strong bipartisan support. It is vital for the House to try once again to bring together a broad coalition of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to provide certainty for farmers, rural America, the environment and our economy in general and pass a five-year farm bill upon returning in July. We believe that splitting the nutrition title from the rest of the bill could result in neither farm nor nutrition programs passing, and urge you to move a unified farm bill forward.
Thank you for your support. We look forward to our continued dialogue as the process moves forward and stand ready to work with you to complete passage of the new five-year Farm Bill before the current law expires again on September 30, 2013.
Sincerely,
1st Farm Credit Services
25x’25
Advanced Biofuels Association
Ag Credit, ACA
AgChoice
AgGeorgia
AgHeritage Farm Credit Services
AgriBank
Agriculture Council of Arkansas
Agriculture Energy Coalition
Agricultural Retailers Association
AgriLand
Agri-Mark, Inc.
AgCarolina
AgCountry
AgFirst
AgPreference
AgSouth
AgStar Financial Services, ACA
AgTexas
Alabama Ag Credit
Alabama Cotton Commission
Alabama Dairy Producers
Alabama Farm Credit
Alabama Farmers Cooperative
Alabama Farmers Federation
Alabama Pork Producers
Alaska Farmers Union
American AgCredit
American Agriculture Movement
American Association of Avian Pathologists
American Association of Bovine Practitioners
American Association of Crop Insurers
American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners
American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians
American Bankers Association
American Beekeeping Federation
American Biogas Council
American Coalition for Ethanol
American Cotton Shippers Association
American Crystal Sugar Company
American Dairy Science Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Farmers and Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company
American Farmland Trust
American Feed Industry Association
American Fruit and Vegetable Processors and Growers Coalition
American Forest Foundation
American Forest Resource Council
American Forests
American Honey Producers Association
American Malting Barley Association
American Pulse Association
American Public Works Association
American Sheep Industry Association
American Society of Agronomy
American Sugar Alliance
American Sugar Cane League
American Sugarbeet Growers Association
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers
American Soybean Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
Animal Agriculture Coalition
Animal Health Institute
WAArborOne
Archery Trade Association
Arizona Farm Bureau Federation
Arizona BioIndustry Association
Arizona Wool Producers Association
Arkansas Farm Bureau
Arkansas Farmers Union
Arkansas Rice Federation
Arkansas Rice Producers’ Group
Arkansas State Sheep Council
Associated Logging Contractors - Idaho
Associated Milk Producers, Inc.
Associated Oregon Loggers
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Association of Veterinary Biologics Companies
Badgerland Financial
Bio Nebraska Life Sciences Association
BioForward
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Black Hills Forest Resource Association
Bongard’s Creamery
Boone and Crockett Club
Bowhunting Preservation Alliance
Calcot
California Agricultural Irrigation Association
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
California Association of Winegrape Growers
California Avocado Commission
California Canning Peach Association
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Farmers Union
California Forestry Association
California Pork Producers Association
California Wool Growers Association
Calvin Viator, Ph. D. and Associates, LLC
The Campbell Group
Can Manufacturers Institute
Canned Food Alliance
Cape Fear Farm Credit
Capital Farm Credit
Carolina Cotton Growers Cooperative
Catch-A-Dream Foundation
Catfish Farmers of America
Central Kentucky, ACA
Ceres Solutions LLP
Chrisholm Trail Farm Credit
CHS, Inc.
CoBank
Colonial Farm Credit
Colorado BioScience Association
Colorado Farm Bureau
Colorado Timber Industry Association
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
Connecticut Forest & Park Association
Connecticut United for Research Excellence, Inc.
The Conservation Fund
Continental Dairy Products, Inc
Cooperative Credit Company
Cooperative Network
Cora-Texas Mfg. Co., Inc.
Corn Producers Association of Texas
Cotton Growers Warehouse Association
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau
Crop Insurance Professionals Association
Crop Science Society of America
CropLife America
Dairy Farmers of America
Dairy Farmers Working Together
Dairy Producers of Utah
Dairylea Cooperative Inc.
Darigold, Inc
Delta Council
Delta Waterfowl
Deltic Timber Corporation
Ducks Unlimited
DUDA (A. Duda & Sons, Inc.)
Eastern Regional Conference of Council of State Governments
Empire State Forest Products Association
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Family Farm Alliance
Family Forest Foundation - Washington
Farm Credit Bank of Texas
Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation
Farm Credit Council
Farm Credit Council Services
Farm Credit East
Farm Credit MidSouth
Farm Credit of Central Florida
Farm Credit of Central Oklahoma
Farm Credit of Enid
Farm Credit of Florida
Farm Credit of Maine
Farm Credit of Ness City
Farm Credit of New Mexico
Farm Credit of North West Florida
Farm Credit of Southern Colorado
Farm Credit of SW Kansas
Farm Credit of Western Arkansas
Farm Credit of Western Kansas
Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma
Farm Credit Services of America
Farm Credit Services of Illinois
Farm Credit South
Farm Credit Virginias
Farm Credit West
Farmer Mac
FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative
FCS Financial
FCS of America
FCS of Colusa-Glenn
FCS of East/Central Oklahoma
FCS of Hawaii
FCS of Illinois
FCS of Mandan
FCS of Mid-America
FCS of North Dakota
FCS of Southwest
Federation of Animal Science Societies
First District Association
First FCS
First South Farm Credit
FLBA of Kingsburg
Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association
Florida Sugar Cane League
Forest Investment Associates
Forest Landowners Association
Forest Products National Labor Management Committee
Forest Resource Association Inc.
Fresno-Madera Farm Credit
Frontier Farm Credit
Fruit Growers Supply Company
Georgia Agribusiness Council
Georgia Farm Bureau Federation
Georgia Forestry Association
Georgia Pork Producers Association
Giustina Resources, LLC
Global Forest Partners LP
GMO Renewable Resources
Great Plains Ag Credit
Great Plains Canola Association
Green Diamond Resource Company
Greenstone
GROWMARK, Inc
Growth Energy
Hancock Timber Resource Group
Hardwood Federation
Hawaii Farmers Union
Hawaii Sugar Farmers
Heritage Land Bank
Holstein Association USA
Idaho Ag Credit
Idaho Dairymen’s Association
Idaho Farmers Union
Idaho Forest Group
Idaho Forest Owners Association
Idaho Grain Producers Association
Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization—iBIO®
Illinois Farm Bureau
Illinois Farmers Union
Illinois Pork Producers Association
Independent Beef Association of North Dakota
Independent Community Bankers of America
Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc.
Indiana Farmers Union
Indiana Health Industry Forum
Innovative Mississippi - Strategic Biomass Solutions
Intermountain Forest Association
Intertribal Agriculture Council
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
Iowa Farmers Union
Iowa Pork Producers Association
Iowa Sheep Industry Association
IowaBio
Irrigation Association
Irving Woodlands, LLC
Izaak Walton League of America
John Deere Crop Insurance
Kansas Cooperative Council
Kansas Dairy
Kansas Farm Bureau
Kansas Farmers Union
Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association
Kansas Pork Association
Kansas Sheep Association
Kentucky Forest Industries Association
Kentucky Pork Producers Association
Land Improvement Contractors of America
Land O'Lakes
Land Stewardship Project
Land Trust Alliance
Lone Rock Timber Management Co.
Longview Timber LLC
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.
Louisiana Forest Association
Louisiana Rice Growers Association
Louisiana Rice Producers’ Group
Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative, Inc.
Lula-Westfield, LLC
Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative
Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts
Maryland Farm Bureau, Inc.
Maryland Grain Producers Association
Maryland Sheep Breeders’ Association, Inc.
Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.
Massachusetts Forest Alliance
MassBio
MBG Marketing / The Blueberry People
Michigan Agri-Business Association
Michigan Farm Bureau
Michigan Farmers Union
Michigan Pork Producers Association
Michigan Sugar Company
Michigan-California Timber Company
Mid-West Dairymen’s Co.
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
Midwest Dairy Coalition
Midwest Environmental Advocates
Midwest Food Processors Association
Milk Producers Council
Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative
Minnesota Canola Council
Minnesota Corn Growers Association
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
Minnesota Farmers Union
Minnesota Forest Industries
Minnesota Grain & Feed Association
Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers
Minnesota Pork Producers Association
Minnesota Timber Producers Association
Mississippi River Trust
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
Missouri Dairy Association
Missouri Farm Bureau Federation
Missouri Farmers Union
Missouri Pork Association
Missouri Sheep Producers
Missouri Soybean Association
The Molpus Woodlands Group
Montana Grain Growers Association
Montana Farmers Union
Mule Deer Foundation
National Association of Counties
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National All-Jersey
National Alliance of Forest Owners
National Association for the Advancement of Animal Science
National Association of Clean Water Agencies
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Association of Farmer Elected Committees
National Association of Federal Veterinarians
National Association of Forest Service Retirees
National Association of FSA County Office Employees
National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils
National Association of State Conservation Agencies
National Association of State Foresters
National Association of University Forest Resource Programs
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Barley Growers Association
National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research
National Conservation District Employees Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Cotton Ginners’ Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Farmers Union
National Farm to School Network
National Grange
National Grape Cooperative Association, Inc.
National Milk Producers Federation
National Network of Forest Practitioners
National Pork Producers Council
National Renderers Association
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
National Sorghum Producers
National Sunflower Association
National Trappers Association
National Wild Turkey Federation
National Woodland Owners Association
Nebraska Cooperative Council
Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation
Nebraska Farmers Union
Nebraska Pork Producers Association
Nevada Farm Bureau Federation
Nevada Wool Growers Association
New England Farmers Union
New Jersey Farm Bureau
New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau
New Mexico Sorghum Association
New York Farm Bureau, Inc.
New York Forest Owners Association
Nexsteppe
North American Grouse Partnership
North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, Inc
North Carolina Forestry Association
North Carolina Pork Council
North Dakota Farmers Union
North Dakota Lamb & Wool Producers
North Dakota Pork Producers Council
Northarvest Bean Growers Association
Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives
Northeast States Association for Agricultural Stewardship
Northern California Farm Credit
Northern Canola Growers Association
Northern Forest Center
Northern Pulse Growers Association
Northwest Dairy Association
Northwest Farm Credit Services
Novozymes North America Inc
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.
Ohio Farmers Union
Ohio Pork Producers Council
Oklahoma Agribusiness Retailers Association
Oklahoma Agricultural Cooperative Council
Oklahoma Farmers Union
Oklahoma Grain & Feed Association
Oklahoma Pork Council
Oklahoma Seed Trade Association
Oklahoma Sorghum Association
Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association
Oregon Association of Nurseries
Oregon Cherry Growers, Inc.
Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
Oregon Farmers Union
Oregon Sheep Growers Association
Oregon Small Woodland Association
Oregon Women in Timber
Orion the Hunter’s Institute
Panhandle-Plains Land Bank
Partners for Sustainable Pollination
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Pennsylvania Farmers Union
Pennsylvania Forest Products Association
Pheasants Forever
Plains Cotton Cooperative Association
Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.
Plum Creek Timber Company
Pollinator Partnership
Pope and Young Club
Port Blakely Tree Farms, LP
Potlatch Corporation
Prairie Rivers Network
Premier Farm Credit
Puerto Rico Farm Credit
Quality Deer Management Association
Quail Forever
Rayonier Inc.
Red Gold, Inc
Red River Forests, LLC
Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association
Renewable Fuels Association
Resource Management Service, LLC
Rhode Island Sheep Cooperative
Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
Rolling Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.
Ruffed Grouse Society
The Rural Broadband Association
Rural Community Assistance Partnership
Select Milk Producers, Inc.
Seneca Foods
Shasta Forests Timberlands, LLC
Sidney Sugars, Inc.
Sierra Pacific Industries
Society of American Foresters
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Soil Science Society of America
South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation
South Dakota Association of Cooperatives
South Dakota Biotech Association
South Dakota Farmers Union
South Dakota Pork Producers
South Dakota Wheat Growers
South East Dairy Farmers Association
Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association
South Texas Cotton and Grain Association
Southeast Milk Inc.
Southern Cotton Growers, Inc.
Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation
Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association of Texas
Southern States Cooperative, Inc.
Southwest Council of Agribusiness
Southwest Georgia Farm Credit
St. Albans Cooperative
Staplcotn
State Agriculture and Rural Leaders
Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida
Sustainable Forest Initiative
Sustainable Northwest
Tennessee Clean Water Network
Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation
Tennessee Forestry Association
Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council
Texas Ag Finance
Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council
Texas Farmers Union
Texas Forestry Association
Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute
Texas Land Bank
Texas Pork Producers Association
Texas Rice Producers Legislative Group
Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers’ Association
Timberland Investment Resources
Timber Products Company
The Amalgamated Sugar Company
The Bank of Commerce
The Nature Conservancy
The Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Trust for Public Land
United Dairymen of Arizona
United FCS
U.S. Animal Health Association
U.S. Beet Sugar Association
U.S. Canola Association
U.S. Cattlemen’s Association
U.S. Dry Bean Council
U.S. Pea & Lentil Trade Association
U.S. Rice Producers Association
U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
USA Rice Federation
Utah Farmers Union
Utah Wool Growers Association
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
Virginia Forestry Association
Virginia Grain Producers Association
Virginia Pork Industry Board
Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association
Virginia State Dairymen’s Association
Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association
Washington Farm Bureau
Washington Farmers Union
Washington State Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Washington State Dairy Federation
Welch Foods Inc., A Cooperative
Wells Timberland REIT
Western AgCredit
Western Growers
Western Pea & Lentil Growers
Western Peanut Growers Association
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Western Sugar Cooperative
Western United Dairymen
The Westervelt Company
Weyerhaeuser Company
Whitetails Unlimited, Inc.
Wild Sheep Foundation
Wildlife Forever
Wildlife Management Institute
Wildlife Mississippi
Wisconsin Agri-Business Association
Wisconsin Farmers Union
Wisconsin Paper Council
Wisconsin Pork Association
Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association
Women Involved in Farm Economics
World Wildlife Fund
Wyoming Sugar Company
Yankee Farm Credit
Yosemite Farm Credit
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