Immediate
Action Needed to Secure Final Passage of the 2002 Farm Bill! U.S.
House of Representatives approves final passage of the 2002 Farm Bill by a vote
of 280 to 141!
Please Contact Your US Senators and Ask Them to Vote in Favor of the Conference
Committee Report on H.R. 2646, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002!
Yesterday
the US House of Representatives House approved the conference report on H.R. 2646,
the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the Farm Bill) by a vote of
280 to 141. The 2002 Farm Bill is a compromise piece of legislation that will
direct federal farm program for the next six years. It is currently budgeted to
spend more than $173 billion on farm programs, conservation, rural development,
and energy security programs that are vital for farmers, ranchers and rural Americans.
Thank you to all of the Grange members who contacted their US Representatives
to urge support for this important legislation. The
US Senate is scheduled to begin consideration of the Conference Committee report
next Tuesday, May 7. As we have previously reported, before the 2002 Farm Bill
can be signed into law by President Bush, the House/Senate Farm Bill Conference
Committee Report must be approved by a majority in both Houses of Congress. The
diverse coalition of powerful special interest groups, such as the Sierra Club,
an environmental organization, and the taxpayer watchdog group Citizens Against
Government Waste are continuing their strong opposition to passage of the 2002
Farm Bill. Now these groups are focusing all of their attention on the US Senate.
Because of the procedural rules in the Senate, the opponents of the 2002 Farm
Bill only need to secure 41 votes out of 100 in order to block consideration of
the legislation through a filibuster.
It is very important that the members of the US Senate hear from Grange members
as soon as possible regarding the need to immediately pass the Conference Committee
report on the 2002 Farm Bill in order to counteract the political influence of
these special interest groups. As Spring planting season progresses across the
nation, hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers need to make appropriate
planting, production and marketing decisions based on the provisions of the new
Farm Bill. Further delay in final passage of this legislation is not acceptable.
Throughout the Farm Bill Conference Committee process, the National Grange has
actively notified both Members of Congress and its grassroots membership regarding
Grange supported provisions that should be part of the final legislation. As such,
the National Grange is making the final vote to support passage of H.R. 2646,
the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, a Key Vote that measures each
individual Member of Congress' overall support for rural America.
Action Plan---The 2002 House/Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee has
completed the final version of H.R. 2646, the Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill). The
House of Representatives has adopted the final compromise legislation by a vote
of 280 to 141. Thank you to all of the Grange members who responded to our request
to contact their U.S. Representatives to urge them to vote in favor of final passage
of the 2002 Farm Bill. The large majority of US Representatives voting in favor
of final passage of this legislation demonstrates the effectiveness of direct
grassroots personal contacts with our political leaders at critical times like
this. Now
the final compromise version of the 2002 Farm Bill must pass the US Senate before
the legislation can be sent to President Bush for his signature to become law.
Please contact your US Senators immediately and ask them to support the action
of the U.S. House of Representatives and vote in favor of the 2002 Farm Bill Conference
Report. The National Grange considers support for the 2002 Farm Bill to be a Key
Vote that measures each individual Member of Congress' overall support for rural
America. Thank
you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative Program.
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