Farm Bill Update and Action Alert

The House passed their farm bill, the "Farm Security Act" in October of 2001 after less than a week of debate on the House floor with a final vote of 291-120. The Senate passed their bill 4 1/2 months later following weeks of debate and an endless number of amendments with a final vote of 58-40. While neither bill made significant changes in the over all structure of farm programs, particularly commodity programs that promote overproduction and keep farmers from getting a fair price for their products, the Senate bill went far beyond the House in addressing the needs of small, independent and limited resource producers and low-income consumers.

The Senate farm bill includes vital equity measures to increase opportunities for minority, woman and beginning farmers; puts payment limitations on commodity programs; places a ban on packer ownership of livestock; and revises nutrition programs to better meet the needs of hungry families, including legal immigrants.

The two bills are now being negotiated into a final farm bill for 2002 by a joint conference committee of both House and Senate agriculture committee members. Conference committee members' staff began meeting in late February to reconcile the two very different House and Senate farm bills. For the most part staff have focused on low conflict issues and putting together the sections of the bill that are more easily agreed to. Members are more involved in negotiating the more controversial parts of the bill such as new conservation programs, payment limitations and the ban on packer ownership of livestock.

After a series of delays caused by a release by the Congressional Budget Office that they underestimated the cost of the Senate farm bill by $6.1 billion dollars leaders are indicating that a farm bill this spring may still be possible. A joint statement was issued by House and Senate agriculture committee leaders, Larry Combest (H-R-TX), Charles Stenholm (H-D-TX), Tom Harkin (S-D-IA) and Richard Lugar (S-R-IN) saying that the budget numbers have been set for the final bill and negotiations on the actual measures that will be funded will resume on April 9, 2002, after congress returns from recess.

The leaders agreed to the following tentative funding framework: $46 billion for commodities; $2.6 billion additional for dairy, sugar and peanuts; $17.1 billion for conservation; $6.4 billion for nutrition; and $3.3 billion for remaining titles. These projections assume $1.9 billion in savings from crop insurance. While these numbers are below the Senate's earlier preferred levels, they do exceed House proposed spending levels.

With news that the conference committee members will not resume negotiations until they return from the recess this is the time to try to set up in-district meetings letting members know what measures you want funded and included in the final bill, and pushing them to complete the bill this spring.

Take Action

Your support is needed to ensure that a Farm Bill is passed this Spring that meets budget goals with out sacrificing the needs and well being of independent and small farmers, the environment and hungry people.

Contact your Representative and Senators and Schedule Visits While They Are Home

If your member is not on the conference committee you can find contact information for their local office in the phone book. Ask that your member contact the conferees and support Just Food and Farm Policy in the 2002 farm bill.

Phone, Fax and E-mail Your Members and Their Staff in Washington, DC

Quick Phone Message: "Pass a Farm Bill this April that follows the Senates leadership in increasing opportunities for small, independent, minority and beginning farmers; better meeting the needs of hungry people and low-income consumers; restoring competition for independent livestock producers; and limiting handouts to corporate agribusiness."

If your members are not on the conference committee, call the capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your member by name or zip code. Ask them to contact conferees with this message.

Talking Points to Use With Your Members of the Conference Committee

Talking points on measures being supported by the Campaign for a Just Food and Farm Policy to use when meeting with and contacting your members.

Home Contact Information for Members of the Conference Committee

Alabama
Representative Terry Everett Dothan Office: 256 Honeysuckle Road, Suite 15 Phone: (334) 794-9680 Montgomery Office: 3500 Eastern Boulevard, Suite 250 Phone: (334) 277-9113 Opp Office: City Hall Building, 108 North Main Street Phone: (334) 493-9253
California
Representative Gary Condit Merced Office: 415 West 18th Street Phone: (209) 383-4455 Modesto Office: 920 16th Street, Suite C Phone: (209) 527-1914	Representative Calvin Dooley Fresno Office: 1060 Fulton Mall, Suite 1015 Phone: (559) 441-7496
Representative Richard Pombo Lodi Office: 315 West Pine Street, Suite 11 Phone: (209) 482-1697 Sacramento Office: 9845 Horn Road, Suite 150 Phone: (916) 361-1681 Stockton Office: 2495 West March Lane, Suite 104 Phone: (209) 951-3091
Georgia	Indiana
Representative Saxby Chambliss Macon Office: Phone: (478) 752-0800 Waycross Office: Phone: (912) 287-1180 Toll free in Georgia 1-800-234-4208	Senator Richard Lugar Evansville Office: 101 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Phone: (812) 465-6313 Fort Wayne Office: 1300 South Harrison Street Phone: (219) 422-1505 Indianapolis Office: 1180 Market Tower, 10 West Market Street Phone: (317) 226-5555 Jeffersonville Office: 103 Federal Center, 1201 East 10th Street Phone: (812) 288-3377 Merrillville Office: 8585 Broadway, Suite 490 Phone: (219) 736-9084
Iowa	Kansas
Senator Tom Harkin Cedar Rapids Office: 150 First Avenue, NE, Suite 370 Phone: (319) 365-4504 Davenport Office: 314B Federal Building Phone: (563) 322-1338 Des Moines Office: 733 Federal Building Phone: (515) 284-4574 Dubuque Office: 315 Federal Building, 350 West Sixth Street Phone: (563) 582-2130 Sioux City Office: 110 Federal Building, 320 Sixth Street Phone: (712) 252-1550	Representative Jerry Moran Hays Office: 1200 Main Street, Suite 402 Phone: (785) 628-6401 Hutchinson Office: 1 North Main Street, Suite 525 Phone: (620) 665-6138
Minnesota	Mississippi
Representative Collin Peterson Detroit Lakes Office: 714 Lake Avenue, Suite 107 Phone: (218) 847-5056 Red Lake Falls Office: Wheat Growers Bldg., 2603 Wheat Drive Phone: (218) 253-4356 Waite Park Office: 110 South Second Street, Suite 112 Phone: (320) 259-0559	Senator Thad Cochran Gulfport Office: 14094 Customs Boulevard, Suite 204 Phone: (228) 867-9710 Jackson Office: 188 East Capitol Street, Suite 614 Phone: (601) 965-4459 Oxford Office: Phone: (601) 236-1018
North Carolina
Senator Jesse Helms Hickory Office: Phone: (828) 322-5170 Raleigh Office: 310 New Bern Avenue, Suite 122 Phone: (919) 856-4630	Rep. Eva Clayton Greenville Office: 400 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Suite 106 Phone: (252) 758-8800 Norlina Office: Warren Corners Shopping Ctr., Route 1, Suite 7 Phone: (252) 456-4800
North Dakota	Ohio
Senator Kent Conrad Bismarck Office: 220 East Rosser Avenue, Room 228 Phone: (701) 258-4648 Fargo Office: 657 Second Avenue North, Room 306 Phone: (701) 232-8030 Grand Forks Office: 102 North Fourth Street, Suite 104 Phone: (701) 775-9601 Minot Office: 100 First Street, SW, Room 105 Phone: (701) 852-0703	Representative John Boehner Hamilton Office: 8200 Beckett Park Drive, Suite 202 Phone: (513) 870-0300 Troy Office: 12 South Plum Street Phone: (937) 339-1524
Oklahoma	Pennsylvania
Representative Frank Lucas Clinton Office: (703) A Frisco Phone: (580) 323-6232 Enid Office: Federal Building, 721 West Broadway, Suite C Phone: (580) 233-9224 Oklahoma City Office: 500 North Broadway, Suite 300 Phone: (405) 235-5311 Woodward Office: 2728 Williams Avenue, Suite F Phone: (580) 256-5752	Representative Tim Holden Pottsville Office: 101 North Centre Street, Suite 303 Phone: (570) 622-4212 Reading Office: 147 North Fifth Street, First Floor Phone: (610) 371-9931 Sunbury Office: Northumberland County Courthouse, Market Square Phone: (570) 988-1902
South Dakota
Senator Thomas Daschle Aberdeen Office: 320 South First Street, Suite 101 Phone: (605) 225-8823 Rapid City Office: 1313 West Main Street Phone: (605) 348-7551 Sioux Falls Office: 320 North Main Avenue, Suite B Phone: (605) 334-9596
Texas
Representative Charles Stenholm Abilene Office: 1500 Industrial Boulevard, Suite 100 Phone: (915) 673-7221 San Angelo Office: 33 East Twohig Avenue, Suite 318 Phone: (915) 655-7994 Stamford Office: 1501 Columbia Street Phone: (915) 773-3623	Representative Larry Combest Amarillo Office: 5809 South Western, #205 Phone: (806) 353-3945 Lubbock Office: 1205 Texas Avenue, #810 Phone: (806) 763-1611 Odessa Office: 3800 East 42nd, #205 Phone: (915) 550-0743
Vermont	Virginia
Senator Patrick Leahy (VT) Burlington Office: Courthouse Plaza, 199 Main Street Phone: (802) 863-2525 Montpelier Office: 338 Federal Building Phone: (802) 229-0569	Representative Bob Goodlatte Harrisonburg Office: 2 South Main Street, 1st Floor, Suite A Phone: (540) 432-2391 Lynchburg Office: 916 Main Street, Suite 300 Phone: (804) 845-8306 Roanoke Office: 10 Franklin Road, SE, Suite 540 Phone: (540) 857-2672 Staunton Office: 114 North Central Avenue Phone: (540) 885-3861

Washington DC Contact Information for Conference Committee Members

Always give your address (or at least hometown) and let the office know you are looking forward to learning if the congressman or woman is going to support these reforms. Contacting your member's aides by phone or email is best!

Alabama
Representative Terry Everett Staff contact: Reece Langley Phone: (202) 225-2901 Fax: (202) 225-8913 E-mail: Reece.Langley@mail.house.gov
California
Representative Gary Condit Staff Contact: Christy Robbins Phone: (202) 225-6131 Fax: (202) 225-0819 Christy.Robbins@mail.house.gov	Representative Calvin Dooley Staff Contact: Jim Travis Phone: (202) 225-3341 Fax: (202) 225-9308 Jim.Travis@mail.house.gov
Representative Richard Pombo Staff Contact: Jessica Carter Phone: (202) 225-1947 Fax: (202) 226-0861 Jessica.Carter@mail.house.gov
Georgia	Indiana
Representative Saxby Chambliss Staff contact: Steven Meeks Phone: (202) 225-6531 Fax: (202) 225-3013 Steven.Meeks@mail.house.gov	Senator Richard Lugar Staff contact: Daniel Spellacy Phone: (202) 224-2035 Fax: (202) 224-1725 Daniel_Spellacy@agriculture.senate.gov
Iowa	Kansas
Senator Tom Harkin Staff contact: Doug O'Brien Phone: (202) 224-6901 Fax: (202) 228-2125 Doug_O'Brien@agriculture.senate.gov	Representative Jerry Moran Staff Contact: Jon Hixson Phone: (202) 225-2715 Fax: (202) 225-5124 Jon.Hixson@mail.house.gov
Minnesota	Mississippi
Representative Collin Peterson Staff Contact: Rob Larew Phone: (202) 225-2165 Fax: (202) 225-1593 Rob.Larew@mail.house.gov	Senator Thad Cochran Staff contact: Hunter Moorhead Phone: (202) 224-5054 Fax: (202) 224-9450 Hunter_Moorhead@cochran.senate.gov
North Carolina
Senator Jesse Helms Staff contact: Matt Leggett Phone: (202) 224-6342 Fax: (202) 228-1339 Matt_Leggett@helms.senate.gov	Rep. Eva Clayton Staff contact: Derek Miller Phone: (202) 225-3101 Fax: (202) 225-3354 Derek.Miller@mail.house.gov
North Dakota	Ohio
Senator Kent Conrad Staff Contact: Tim Galvin Phone: (202) 224-2043 Fax: (202) 224-7776 Tim.Galvin@conrad.senate.gov	Representative John Boehner Contact staff: Mike Sommers Phone: (202) 225-6205 Fax: (202) 225-0704 Mike.Sommers@mail.house.gov
Oklahoma	Pennsylvania
Representative Frank Lucas Contact staff: Nicole Scott Phone: (202) 225-5565 Fax: (202) 225-8698 Nicole.Scott@mail.house.gov	Representative Tim Holden Staff Contact: Nona Darrell Phone: (202) 225-5546 Fax: (202) 226-0996 Nona.Darrell@mail.house.gov
South Dakota
Senator Thomas Daschle Contact staff: Jonathan Lehman Phone: (202) 224-2321 Fax: (202) 224-7895 Jonathan_Lehman@daschle.senate.gov
Texas
Representative Charles Stenholm Contact staff: Vernie Hubert Phone: (202) 225-0317 Fax: (202) 225-8510 Vernie.Hubert@mail.house.gov	Representative Larry Combest Contact staff: Pete Thomson Phone: (202) 225-2171 Fax: (202) 225-0917 Pete.Thomson@mail.house.gov
Vermont	Virginia
Senator Patrick Leahy Staff Contact: Ed Barron Phone: (202) 224-4242 Fax: (202) 224-3479 Ed.Barron@leahy.senate.gov	Representative Bob Goodlatte Contact staff: Brent Gattis Phone: (202) 225-2171 Fax: (202) 225-0917 Brent.Gattis@mail.house.gov