NSAC's Blog
What a Win!
May 31, 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 local and regional food system development in the 2013 Farm Bill?
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced a critical amendment last week that will have a transformative impact on our food and farm system. The amendment increases funding for critical programs that directly help farmers and communities put solutions into action on the ground – including Community Food Projects, the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program, the Value-Added Producer Grants Program, and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.
We need YOU to call your Senators 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 co-sponsor and vote for Senator Brown’s local farm and food amendment in the 2013 Farm Bill floor debate. It is amendment number 1088. This amendment is critical to building a better future for food and farms in our state. 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
[…] The Food Research and Action Center reports that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-NY) amendment to restore $4.1 billion/ten year in cuts to nutrition assistance for hungry families was defeated by a 70-26 vote. […]