6/6/2012 12:00 AM
Farmers and co-ops that are members of Land O'Lakes cooperative system have been asked to take action in support of passage of the new farm bill. The U.S. Senate began floor consideration of the bill on June 5.
Below is the action alert that was sent from Land O'Lakes:
To: Land O'Lakes, Inc. Members
From: Steven Krikava, Director of Government Relations
RE: Farm Bill on Senate Floor
Dear Land O'Lakes Members:
Contact your U.S. Senators immediately and urge them to:
• Vote YES on cloture to ensure efficient debate
• Vote NO on any amendments to the Ag Committee’s dairy programs
• Vote YES on passage of the Farm Bill, formally titled The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240)
With the expiration of the current farm bill looming, timely passage is essential for maintaining an effective safety net for America’s producers and consumers. Invoking cloture will help ensure that the bill moves through the Senate. Delays in Senate action will reduce the likelihood of the House taking up the bill in this Congress.
The 2012 Farm Bill preserves an income safety net for farmers, promotes food security for consumers, and reduces costs for tax payers. The current text, as passed by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, represents a bipartisan effort to reduce program spending by $23.6 billion while ensuring help is still there for those who need it.
The dairy provisions of the bill, including the Dairy Market Stabilization Program and the Dairy Production Market Protection Program should be passed without amendment. These programs provide a comprehensive policy that, together, cost less and provide more support than the support price and the Milk Income Loss Contract currently in place.
Let your Senators know this issue matters to you with a call or email today. Click here for contact information to reach your Senators.
Feel free to pass on this message to other farmers in your area.
We expect that once debate begins, we may see specific amendments that will affect Land O'Lakes priorities for the farm bill. Watch for additional action alerts in the days ahead.
For more information, contact Steven Krikava at Land O'Lakes:
SPKrikava@landolakes.com
