NSAC's Blog
What a Win!
June 3, 2013
Dear Supporter,
Guess what? Last week, the Senate heard from us – and they listened! Because of calls from grassroots advocates like you, the Senate passed an amendment – the Durbin-Coburn amendment – that takes a bold first step towards reforming ballooning crop insurance subsidies for wealthy mega-farms in the 2013 Farm Bill!
Calls from constituents helped encourage 59 Senators to support this common-sense, long overdue amendment. Even better, it will save taxpayers over 1.3 billion dollars and will ensure maximum support goes only to those who need it, not a handful of mega-farms.
Grassroots action worked last week, but we can’t stop there. We’ll need your voice over the next few weeks more than ever – making calls and spreading the word about other amendments that make a real difference in the lives of farmers and invest in local communities.
Can you make a call today to support beginning and historically underserved farmers in the 2013 Farm Bill?
Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced amendment #986 that will help farmers better access their #1 biggest need – financial capital to launch and sustain their farm businesses. It authorizes a microloan program tailored for the needs of beginning and military veteran farmers and ranchers. And Senator Tom Udall’s (D-NM) amendment #1055 restores funding to a historic program – the Outreach and Technical Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Program (also known as Section 2501) – that assists our nation’s historically underserved farmers. Senator Udall’s amendment funds this critical program that provides training and technical assistance to African-American, American-Indian, Asian-American, and Latino farmers and ranchers.
We need YOU to call today!
Calling is easy! Just call (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected with your Senator’s office. Once you’re connected to your Senator’s office, leave a message like this one below with the person who answers the phone:
“Hello, my name is ___ and I’m a constituent and a voter (and tell ‘em if you’re a farmer!). I would like to leave a message for Senator ___’s agriculture staffer. Can you take a message for me, please? The message is: I urge the Senator to support SA 986 and SA 1055 in the 2013 Farm Bill floor debate. These amendments are critical to investing in our next generation of farmers. Thank you.”
And there’s much more at stake – check out NSAC’s Take Action page for a list of amendments that haven’t been voted on yet. They still have a chance to pass when the Senate returns to work on the farm bill, so it’s not too late to make a call!
Thanks for all you do,
Sarah and Shavaun, The NSAC Grassroots Team
P.S. When you call, tell us how it went!
P.P.S. Need a little refresher on the sometimes-confusing Farm Bill process? Check out our handy infographic!
Categories: Action Alerts, General Interest
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