President
Bush Signs the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002! Earlier
today, President Bush signed the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
(the 2002 Farm Bill) into law. Last week, the US Senate passed the Farm Bill by
a vote of 64 to 35. The week before, the House of Representatives approved 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. The current Farm Bill will run through 2008. Thank you to
all of the Grange members who contacted their US Representatives, US Senators
and President Bush to urge support for this important legislation. The National
Grange made 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. Important
Links Summary
of the 2002 Farm Bill
Section
by section explanation of the 2002 Farm bill
Full
text of the 2002 Farm Bill. Action
Plan---President Bush has signed H.R. 2646, the Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill) into law. The House of Representatives adopted the
final compromise legislation by a vote of 280 to 141. The US Senate adopted the
final compromise legislation by a vote of 65 to 35. The National Grange considered
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 to all of the Grange members who responded to our request to contact their
U.S. Representatives, US Senators, and President Bush to urge them to support
the 2002 Farm Bill. The large majority of US Representatives and US Senators voting
in favor of final passage of this legislation as well as President Bush's quick
signing of the legislation demonstrates the effectiveness of direct grassroots
personal contacts with our political leaders at critical times like this. Thank
you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative Program
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