Ohio Farmers Union

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Media Reports: Some progress on Farm Bill

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With just days left on the 2012 congressional calendar, Politico reports today that some progress is being made among “The Big Four” in the Farm Bill debate on Capitol Hill.

The Big Four are the House and Senate Ag Committees’ chairpersons and ranking members. The four were brought together one week ago by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack at the department for a round of meetings to see if a full five-year Farm Bill can be salvaged from what’s been a messy political year in Washington. As it stands now, the Senate has passed a bill and the House Ag Committee has moved a bill out of committee. Ohioan and House Speaker John Boehner has not allowed the House Farm Bill to come to the floor for a vote allowing the process to move forward and a reconciliation of both chambers’ bills. The previous Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30.

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Secretary Vilsack on Strengthening Homegrown Energy

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by Tom Vilsack, USDA Secretary

As the drought continues today, USDA and other Federal agencies are doing all we can to help farmers, ranchers and communities who have been impacted.

Unfortunately, our tools are limited. Due to inaction by Congress, many parts of the 2008 Farm Bill expired October 1, and other aspects of the law will expire in the coming months.

This brings tremendous uncertainty for rural families – particularly livestock producers who have lost access to disaster programs, and dairy producers who no longer have access to dairy support programs.

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NFU: Congress Should Pass Farm Bill in Lame Duck Session

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Linda Borton and other Ohio Farmers Union leaders participated in the Farm Bill NOW Rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. in September. OFU joined the National Farmers Union and Farm Bureau Federation and many other ag groups to demonstrate the need for swift passage of the 2012 Farm Bill.

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement after the Sept. 30 expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill.

“It is disappointing that House leadership made the decision to not act on a farm bill before yesterday’s expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill, despite indications that there were enough votes to pass the bill. We are hopeful that, with the pressures of the November elections behind them, Congress will commit to making a concerted, proactive effort to pass a comprehensive, five-year farm bill in the lame duck session. We look forward to working with members of Congress and all interested parties during the lame duck session to ensure that a farm bill can be completed by year’s end.

“The lame duck session will feature a plethora of important issues that have also gone unresolved by this Congress, including the sequestration process, numerous tax and spending issues, and U.S. Postal Service reform. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that House Speaker John Boehner brings the farm bill to the floor early in the session to ensure it can be conferenced and finalized before Congress returns to their districts yet another recess in December.

“The longer Congress drags its feet, the harder their inaction will be felt by farmers, ranchers and, ultimately, all Americans.”

 

NFU’s Johnson: Congress ‘packing up’ without finishing Farm Bill a travesty

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NFU President Roger Johnson issued a statement following Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner’s announcement that action on the farm bill would take place following the Nov. 6 general election.

“NFU is deeply disappointed with Speaker Boehner’s comments this morning. It is crystal clear that Republican leadership is what is holding the farm bill hostage. While the announcement comes as no surprise, punting the farm bill into the lame duck session is a transparent political maneuver that leaves rural America holding its collective breath about its livelihood and future.

“The lame duck session will be dealing with many very significant tax and funding issues which have also been left undone by this Congress. We worry about whether the farm bill might become a pawn in that process.

“We are confident that there are enough votes to pass the farm bill now. We strongly urge the Speaker to reconsider the recess and take up the bill and deal with it now. Congress should not leave town early while leaving U.S. farmers and ranchers facing enormous uncertainty.

“On the heels of one of the most devastating disasters our country has seen in many years, the agricultural community needs certainty here and now, not in six weeks time. Allowing Congress to pack up and leave town once again without taking up a farm bill is an irresponsible travesty.”

Farm Bill Now! Rally Staged on Capitol Hill

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WASHINGTON  – More than 200 Farmers Union members joined hundreds of other farmers, ranchers and agriculture industry supporters in the shadow of the Capitol today for the “Farm Bill Now!” rally to send a clear message to Congress that they want a farm bill now.

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson cohosted the rally with American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman. They were joined on stage by many members of Congress and leaders from a broad spectrum of supporting organizations.

“We are all united on one thing; we need a farm bill and we need a farm bill now,” said Johnson.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee; Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., ranking member of the Committee on Agriculture; and Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., addressed the crowd.

Several members of Congress stood with their colleagues on stage in a sign of support.

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What can you be doing about the Farm Bill?

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The U.S. Senate has done its job. The House of Representatives Ag Committee has done its job. Now it’s time for Speaker John Boehner and the rest of the House majority leadership to do theirs: Bring the 2012 Farm Bill to the House floor for action.

There’s a job for you to do as well. Contact your member of Congress and tell him or her that it’s never been more important for U.S. farm policy to move forward in a bipartisan manner. U.S. farmers and ranchers are battling the worst drought since WWII, the national economic recovery is weak and farmers need certainty as much as multi-national corporations and the big banks on Wall Street. Don’t let them forget the farmers. Below you will find some information from the National Farmers Union. Read it and think about how the lack of a Farm Bill passed by September 30 would affect your own family farm. Tell your member of Congress about that and ask them to support efforts to move the bipartisan bill passed by the House Ag Committee to the floor.

NFU’s Johnson blasts Congress on idea to extend 2008 Farm Bill

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Wasn’t there a time in America when the good people who represent us in Congress could lay aside political differences and do serious public policy when the nation faced emergency? Wouldn’t you say that the worst U.S. drought since the 1950s might be just such an emergency?

Leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives think differently. The latest proposal is to lay aside the Senate Farm Bill (passed) and the House Farm Bill (through committee) and just extend the current law. Here’s what National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said today on the subject:

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Wise, Zumbrink speak out on Farm Bill & drought

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Ohio Farmers Union President Roger Wise and longtime member James Zumbrink were quoted in the Columbus Dispatch today regarding the drought and Congress’ inattention to the Farm Bill.

This year’s drought, affecting a huge swath of the United States is severely disrupting agriculture from corn to livestock grazing. Here’s a bit of the Dispatch coverage – click the link at the end to read the whole story at their website:

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As House takes up Farm Bill, Midwest farmers say conservation is key

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Farmers in the U.S. ‘heartland’ value the conservation programs funded under the current Farm Bill and do not want to see cuts in conservation as Congress debates changes to this cornerstone agricultural legislation, says a poll done on behalf of the National Farmers Union and Cultivate Impact.

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