Farm Bill Digest #4, Posted June 13, 2007
The Farm Bill Digest is a weekly news alert that tracks the National Campaign's 2008 Farm Bill Priorities.
In this issue of the Digest:
- Farm Bill Schedule
- House markup of the 2008 Farm Bill is expected to be completed by the last week in June.
- Calls Needed on the Livestock Title
- Three provisions emerged from subcommittee markup in the Livestock Title that should be revisited in full committee markup including a provision that ties NAIS to COOL and another that preempts state and local food safety and GMO laws.
- Nutrition Title Markup this Thursday
- The Chairman has released his farm bill proposal for the nutrition title.
- Rural Development Markup
- ATTRA and Microenterprise are authorized.
- Organic Markup
- Cost share included but funding reduced.
FARM BILL DIGEST #4
Farm Bill Schedule
On Thursday June 14th the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry will mark up the sections of the 2008 Farm Bill under their jurisdiction including community food programs and farmers market nutrition programs.
On June 19th the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management will meet to markup their sections of the 2008 Farm Bill.
On June 26th, 27th and 28th, the full House Agriculture Committee will meet to complete the House markup of the 2008 Farm Bill.
All the hearings start at 10:00 and if you have access to high speed internet you can tune in to listen here: http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/audio.html
Calls Needed on the Livestock Title
NAIS, Federal Preemption and Interstate Sales of State Inspected Meat
The House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry finished its mark up on the 2008 Farm Bill on May 24 and three separate provisions require action.
Calls are needed before the full House Agriculture Committee meets for markup beginning June 26th from key House Agriculture Committee districts (see chart at end of the Digest). The three provisions involve the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), the preemption of state and local food safety laws, and interstate sales of state inspected meat.
National Animal Identification System
Under the Heading of "Miscellaneous Provisions," Section 121 of the Chairman's mark included a provision to amend the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) provisions passed in the 2002 Farm Bill. The amendment has the effect of allowing USDA to utilize NAIS as a means of indentifying country of origin.
COOL requires retailers to identify the country of origin of beef, lamb, pork, fish and perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts – unfortunately implementation of COOL has been delayed until September 2008.
The 2002 Farm Bill included a provision that prohibited the Secretary from using a mandatory National Animal Identification System (NAIS) as a means of certifying country of origin. NAIS is a federal/state effort to develop a system capable of tracing livestock back to its farm of origin within 48 hours. It involves both premises registration and animal identification. Costs of individual animal identification in tags and labor for small producers will be yet another drain on already slim profit margins. NAIS is opposed by many livestock producers and by the National Campaign's Sustainable Livestock Committee.
The Chairman's mark repealed the prohibition on the use of NAIS as a means of identifying country of origin under COOL, tying one very popular provision to a very unpopular one. This provision should be removed from the bill in full House Agriculture Committee Markup.
Preemption of State and Local Food Safety Laws
The Chairman included yet another skunk in the miscellaneous woodpile: Section 123
Section 123 is a provision that bars any state or local government from "prohibiting the use in commerce of any article that the Secretary of Agriculture has (1) inspected and passed; or (2) determined to be of non-regulated status. This provision is aimed squarely at state and local efforts to ban GE crops and regulate food safety. States would be unable to protect their farmers from the unwanted presence of GMO crops approved by USDA and given "non-regulated status." States would also be precluded from halting the sale of meat or poultry which are marked as "inspected and passed" by USDA.
Preemption will make it impossible for states to act as first responders in food safety emergencies. The provision would also preempt laws in California, Arkansas and Missouri that regulate the introduction of GMO rice varieties and legislation in Washington prohibiting the planting of GMO canola in certain areas of the state. States have taken these measures to protect their farmers from lost markets and income due to contamination from GMO cross pollination.
House Agriculture Committee members should vote to strike this provision when it reaches full committee markup the week of June 25th.
Interstate Sales of State Inspected Meat
In good news, Rep. Kagan (D-WI) introduced an amendment to allow the interstate sale of state inspected meat when the state's inspection standards are equivalent to or higher than federal inspection standards. Some 27 state inspection programs have been audited by USDA and certified as equivalent to federal standards. While there was a great deal of support among subcommittee members for the amendment it was deferred for consideration by the full committee. House Agriculture Committee members should be urged to accept this amendment.
If you live in a key district (see chart) call your member this week and ask them to:
- Strike the provision allowing USDA to use NAIS to identify country of origin under COOL.
- Strike the Section 123 preemption of state and local food safety laws.
- Support the Kagen amendment to allow the interstate sale of state inspected meat.
Nutrition Title Markup this Thursday
The House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Colin Peterson (D-MN) has released his proposal for the nutrition title and the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry will begin markup tomorrow, Thursday June 14th at 10:00 a.m.
The Chairman's proposal includes an expansion of the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program for the purchase of fruits and vegetables for distribution to schools and service institutions. The proposal also authorizes $30 million for the Community Food Project Competitive Grant programs and establishes a preference for projects that:
- Improve processing and transportation infrastructure to expand institutional and emergency food service demand for local food.
- Improve retail access to healthy foods in underserved markets.
- Integrate urban and metro area food production in food project.
- Provide technical assistance for youth, socially disadvantaged individuals and imited resource groups.
The Community Food Security Coalition is urging calls to subcommittee members to urge support for increased funding for Community Food Projects, language that strengthens the ability of schools to purchase from local farmers, the Healthy Food Enterprise Development Program, and urban agriculture. For more information go the CFSC website at http://www.foodsecurity.org/policy.html
Nutrition Subcommittee members include: Joe Baca (D-CA) Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) Lincoln Davis(D-TN) Nick Lampson (D-TX) Steve Kagen (D-WI) Nancy Boyda (D-KS) Jo Bonner (R-AL) Jerry Moran (R-KS) Steve King (R-IA) Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) Charles Boustany (R-LA) You can reach these offices by calling the Congressional Switchboard at 202.224.3121.
Rural Development Markup
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural Development and Foreign Agriculture marked up the rural development title last week. ATTRA won a permanent authorization. Also authorized was a new Microenterprise program able to make loans and grants to microenterprise development organizations that provide training, technical and financial assistance to rural entrepreneurs and small businesses. Unfortunately, neither ATTRA or the Microenterprise program received mandatory funding leaving lots of work left to do in the 2008 appropriations process.
Organic Markup
Last Thursday the House Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture marked up the organic section of the Farm Bill. The Chairman's mark included $25 million in reserve fund funding for the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Rep. Virginia Fox offered an amendment that shifted $3 million from the Cost Share Program to organic production and market data collection. The amendment was accepted by the subcommittee although some members felt $3 million would be inadequate and the issue may be revisited in full house committee markup the last week in June.
110th CONGRESS: HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE
Democrats
| Representative | Phone | FAX |
|---|---|---|
| Collin Peterson (MN-7), Chair | 202-225-2165 | 202-225-1593 |
| Tim Holden (PA-17) | 202-225-5546 | 202-226-0996 |
| Mike McIntyre (NC-7) | 202-225-2731 | 202-225-5773 |
| Bob Etheridge (NC-2) | 202-225-4531 | 202-225-5662 |
| Leonard Boswell (IA-3) | 202-225-3806 | 202-225-5608 |
| Joe Baca (CA-43) | 202-225-6161 | 202-225-8671 |
| Dennis Cardoza (CA-18) | 202-225-6131 | 202-225-0819 |
| David Scott (GA-13) | 202-225-2939 | 202-225-4628 |
| Jim Marshall (GA-8) | 202-225-6531 | 202-225-3013 |
| Stephanie Herseth (SD-at large) | 202-225-2801 | 202-225-5823 |
| Henry Cuellar (TX-28) | 202-225-1640 | 202-225-1641 |
| Jim Costa (CA-20) | 202-225-3341 | 202-225-9308 |
| John Salazar (CO-3) | 202-225-4761 | 202-226-9669 |
| Brad Ellsworth (IN-8) | 202-225-4636 | 202-225-3284 |
| Nancy Boyda (KS-2) | 202-225-6601 | 202-225-7986 |
| Zack Space (OH-18) | 202-225-6265 | 202-225-3394 |
| Tim Walz (MN-1) | 202-225-2472 | 202-225-3433 |
| Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-20) | 202-225-5614 | 202-225-1168 |
| Steve Kagen (WI-8) | 202-225-5665 | 202-225-5729 |
| Earl Pomeroy (ND-at large) | 202-225-2611 | 202-226-0893 |
| Lincoln Davis (TN-4) | 202-225-6831 | 202-226-5172 |
| John Barrow (GA-12) | 202-225-2823 | 202-225-3377 |
| Nick Lampson (TX-22) | 202-225-5951 | 202-225-5241 |
| Joe Donnelly (IN-2) | 202-225-3915 | 202-225-6798 |
| Tim Mahoney (FL-16) | 202-225-5792 | 202-225-3132 |
Republicans
| Representative | Phone | FAX |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Goodlatte (VA-6), Ranking Member | 202-225-5431 | 202-225-9681 |
| Terry Everett (AL-2) | 202-225-2901 | 202-225-8913 |
| Frank Lucas (OK-3) | 202-225-5565 | 202-225-8698 |
| Jerry Moran (KS-1) | 202-225-2715 | 202-225-5124 |
| Robin Hayes (NC-8) | 202-225-3715 | 202-225-4036 |
| Timothy Johnson (IL-15) | 202-225-2371 | 202-226-0791 |
| Sam Graves (MO-6) | 202-225-7041 | 202-225-8221 |
| Jo Bonner (AL-1) | 202-225-4931 | 202-225-0562 |
| Mike Rogers (AL-3) | 202-225-3261 | 202-226-8485 |
| Steve King (IA-5) | 202-225-4426 | 202-225-3193 |
| Marilyn Musgrave (CO-4) | 202-225-4676 | 202-225-5870 |
| Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) | 202-225-4005 | 202-225-9615 |
| Charles Boustany Jr. (LA-7) | 202-225-2031 | 202-225-5724 |
| John "Randy" Kuhl Jr. (NY-29) | 202-225-3161 | 202-226-6599 |
| Virginia Foxx (NC-5) | 202-225-2071 | 202-225-2995 |
| K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) | 202-225-3605 | 202-225-1783 |
| Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) | 202-225-4806 | 202-225-5686 |
| Jean Schmidt (OH-2) | 202-225-3164 | 202-225-1992 |
| Adrian Smith (NE-3) | 202-225-6435 | 202-225-0207 |
| Kevin McCarthy (CA-22) | 202-225-2915 | 202-225-2908 |
| Tim Walberg (MI-7) | 202-225-6276 | 202-225-6281 |
© 2007-2008 National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.