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1. More Time to Take Action On the Farm Bill - Again!
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The
House Committee on Agriculture has delayed the vote on the Farm Bill yet
again, this time until July 17-19. So if you haven't called them yet,
you still have time! And if you have called, feel free to call again!!
Chairman
Peterson has released a new Chairman's Mark for Full Committee
Consideration. http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/2007FarmBill.html
The good news
is that federal pre-emption provision (Section 123) has been taken out!
FARFA joined several other organizations in opposing this section, and our
voices were heard!!
The
bad news is that the new version still includes a section that would
link NAIS to Country of Origin Labeling. It has been re-numbered as
Section 11101. Like the previous Section
121, Section 11101 would allow the USDA to use a mandatory animal
identification system in order to implement Country of Origin Labeling
(COOL). Read more about why mandatory animal ID should not be used for
COOL at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/NAIS-and-COOL.
Take Action!
First,
contact Chairman Collin Peterson:
Phone: 202-225-2171
Fax: 202-225-8510
Email: [log in to unmask]
Second,
contact any member of the House Agriculture Committee who comes from your
state. They are all listed below, in order of their states, starting
with Alabama and ending with Wisconsin.
Third,
contact Senator Harkin and any member of the Senate Agriculture Committee who
comes from your state. They are listed after the House Committee
below. The Senate Committee will be starting work on the Farm Bill at
the end of July, and this may be our best hope for getting NAIS taken back
out of the Farm Bill.
Last,
contact your own Representative and Senator. Go to www.house.gov/writerep/
and www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
, or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask your
Congressman and Senators to speak with the Chairs of the Committee, and any
members of the Committee from your state, on your behalf.
The
Message: Strip Section 11101 from the
draft Farm Bill. The law barring the USDA from using mandatory animal
identification to implement COOL should not be changed, and NAIS should not
be put into the Farm Bill.
As
always, if you have any questions, you can contact us at [log in to unmask] or call
866-687-6452.
Listed below:
Members of the House Committee on Agriculture
Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture
Talking Points
Sample Letter/E-mail
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House Committee on Agriculture
Name
(State), Phone number, Fax number
Members
are listed in order of their states (alphabetically). Please contact
any members who come from your state. If you want to use e-mail, then
go to the Congressperson's website, which you can find at http://www.house.gov/
Chair: The
Honorable Collin C. Peterson
1305 Longworth House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-2171
Fax: 202-225-8510
Email: [log in to unmask]
Members:
Terry
Everett (AL), (p) 202-225-2901, (f) 202-225-8913
Michael Rogers (AL), (p) 202-225-3261, (f) 202-226-8485
Jo Bonner (AL), (p) 202-225-4931, (f) 202-225-0562
Joe
Baca (CA), (p) 202-225-6161, (f) 202-225-8671
Dennis Cardoza (CA), (p) 202-225-6131, (f) 202-225-0819
Jim Costa (CA), (p) 202-225-3341, (f) 202-225-9308
Kevin McCarthy (CA), (202) 225-2915, (f) 202-225-2908
John
T. Salazar (CO), (p) 202-225-4761, (f) 202-226-9669
Marilyn Musgrove (CO), (p) 202-225-4676, (f) 202-225-5870
Timothy
Mahoney (FL), (p) 202-225-5792, (f) 202-225-3132
David
Scott (GA), (p) 202-225-2939, (f) 202-225-4628
Jim Marshall (GA), (p) 202-225-6531, (f) 202-225-3013
John Barrow (GA), (p) 866-890-6236, (f) 202-225-3377
Leonard
L. Boswell, (IA), (p) 202-225-3806, (f) 202-225-5608
Steve King (IA), (p) 202-225-4426, (f) 202-225-3193
Timothy
Johnson (IL), 202-225-2371, (f) 202-226-0791
Brad
Ellsworth (IN), (p) 866-567-0227, (f) 202-225-3284
Joe Donnelly (IN), (p) 202-225-3915, (f) 202-225-6798
Nancy
Boyda (KS), (p) 202-225-6601, (f) 202-225-7986
Jerry Moran (KS), (p) 202-225-2715, (f) 202-225-5124
Charles W. Boustany, Hr. (LA), (p) 202-225-2031, (f)
202-225-5724
Tim Walberg (MI), (p) 202-225-6276, (f)
202-225-6281
Collin
Peterson (MN), (p) 202-225-2165, (f) 202-225-1593
Timothy J. Walz (MN), (p) 202-225-2472, (f) 202-225-3433
Sam
Graves (MO), (p) 202-225-7041, (f) 202-225-8221
Earl
Pomeroy, (ND), (p) 202-225-2611, (f) 202-226-0893
Mike
McIntyre (NC), (p) 202-225-2731, (f) 202-225-5773
Bob Etheridge (NC), (p) 202-225-4531, (f) 202-225-5662
Robin Hayes, (NC), (p) 202-225-3715, (f)202-225-4036
Virginia Foxx (NC), (p) 202-225-2071, (f) 202-225-2995
Jeff
Fortnberry (NE), (p) 202-225-4806, (f) 202-225-5686
Adrian Smith (NE), (p) 202-225-6435, (f) 202-225-0207
Kirsten
Gillibrand, (NY), (p) 202-225-5614, (f)202-225-1168
John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. (NY), 202-225-3161, (f) 202-226-6599
Zachary
T. Space (OH), (p) 202-225-6265, (f) 330-364-4330
Jean Schmidt (OH), (p) 202-225-3164, (f) 202-225-1992
Frank
D. Lucas (OK), (p) 202-225-5565, (f) 202-225-8698
Tim
Holden (PA), (p) 202-225-5546, (f) 202-226-0996
Stephanie
Herseth Sandline, (SD), (p) 202-225-2801, (f) 202-225-5823
Lincoln
Davis, (TN), (p) 202-225-6831, 9f) 202-226-5172
Henry
Cuellar (TX), (p) 202-225-1640, (f) 202-225-1641
Mike Conaway (TX), (p) 202-225-3605, (f) 202-225-1783
Randy Neugebauer (TX), (p) 202-225-4005, (f) 202-225-9615
Nicholas Lampson (TX), (p) 202-225-5951, (f) 202-225-5241
Bob Goodlatte (VA), (p) 202-225-5431, (f) 202-225-9681
Steve Kagen (WI), (p) 202-225-5665, (f) 202-225-5729
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Senate Committee
on Agriculture
Name
(State), Phone number, Fax number
Members
are listed in order of their states (alphabetically). Please contact
any members who come from your state. If you want to use e-mail, then
go to the Congressperson's website, which you can find at http://www.senate.gov/
Chair: Senator
Harkin
Room SR-328A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC. 20510-6000
Phone: 202-224-2035
Blanche
Lincoln (AR), (p) 202-224-4843, (f) 202-228-1371
Ken Salazar (CO), (p) 202-224-5852, (f) 202-228-5036
Saxby Chambliss (GA), (p) 202-224-3521, (f) 202-224-0103
Mike Crapo (ID), (p) 202-224-6142, (f) 202-228-1375
Tom Harkin (IA), (p) 202-224-3254, (f) 202-224-9369
Charles Grassley (IA), (p) 202-224-3744, (f) 515-288-5097
Richard Lugar (IN), (p) 202-224-4814, (f) 202-228-0360
Pat Roberts (KS), (p) 202-224-4774, (f) 202-224-3514
Mitch McConnell (KY), (p) 202-224-2541, (f) 202-224-2499
Debbie Stabenow (MI), (p) 202-224-4822, e-mail:
[log in to unmask]
Norm Coleman (MN), (p) 202-224-5641, (f) 202-224-1152
Amy Klobuchar (MN), (p) 202-224-3244
Thad Cochran (MS), (p) 202-224-5054
Max Baucus (MT), (p) 202-224-2651, (f) 202-224-0515
E. Banjamin Nelson (NE), (p) 202-224-6551, (f) 202-228-0012
Kent Conrad (ND), (p) 202-224-2043, (f) 202-224-7776, E-mail: https://conrad.senate.gov/...
Sherrod Brown (OH), (p): 202-224-2315, (f) 202-228-6321
Robert Casey, Jr. (PA), (p): 202-224-6324, (f) 202-228-0604
Lindsey Graham (SC), (p) 202-224-5972
John Thune (SD), (p) 202-224-2321, (f) 202-228-5429
Patrick Leahy (VT), (p) 202-224-4242
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Talking Points
* Please strip Section 11101 from the
draft Farm Bill. I oppose the National Animal ID System (NAIS).
* The law barring the USDA from using
mandatory animal identification to implement Country of Origin Labeling
(COOL) should not be changed.
* COOL can
be implemented simply by requiring that all imports of live animals or food
be identified with a country of origin marking. Requiring U.S.
livestock owners to individually identify and track all domestic livestock
is not necessary.
* Using
mandatory animal identification to implement COOL would impose heavy
burdens on American farmers and ranchers, in both time and money. A
National Animal ID System (NAIS) would drive independent ranches and farms
in America out of business.
*The purpose of
COOL is to provide information so that consumers can choose whether to buy
domestic or foreign products and, as a hoped-for result, providing American
farmers and ranchers with economic rewards for raising food in this
country.
* NAIS will
harm American farmers and ranchers, directly contrary to the goal of COOL.
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Sample letter or email
If
you use email, be sure to put a clear subject line, such as
"Keep mandatory animal ID out of the Draft Farm Bill"
Dear
Chairman Peterson and Members of the Committee:
I
ask that you strip Section 11101 from the Farm Bill. Section
11101would allow the USDA to use mandatory animal identification to
implement Country of Origin Labeling, and I am opposed to any provision
that opens the door to the National Animal Identification System.
I
am a _______ (farmer, consumer, ... Tell them a few sentences about
yourself and why you care about this issue)
The
law barring the USDA from using mandatory animal identification to
implement Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) should not be changed, and the
National Animal Identification System (NAIS) should not be added to the
Farm Bill. COOL can be implemented by requiring all imported
livestock to be identified with a country of origin marking, which is
already a requirement for cattle imported from Mexico or Canada. Requiring
U.S. cattle producers to individually identify and track all livestock is
not necessary.
Using
mandatory animal identification to implement COOL will impose heavy burdens
on American farmers and ranchers, in both time and money. NAIS will
drive independent ranches and farms in America out of business. The
purpose of COOL is to provide information so that consumers can choose
whether to buy domestic or foreign products and, as a hoped-for result,
providing American farmers and ranchers with economic rewards for raising
food in this country. Mandatory animal identification will harm all
Americans' rights and our economy, canceling out the benefits of COOL.
Please
strip Section 11101 from the draft Farm Bill, and keep NAIS out of the Farm
Bill.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
City, State Zip
Email ( if you have it)
Cc: Senator
Harkin
Senator ___________ (your
Senator)
Congressman __________ (your
Congressman)
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