Tammy Baldwin for Congress Blog
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Advocating for Agriculture
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Location: Blogs Tammy BaldwinEnvironment |
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| Posted by: Tammy Baldwin |
11/26/2007 11:59 PM |
Agriculture is the backbone of Wisconsin’s economy, and family farms are at its core. Our farmers are some of the most productive in the world, but today many family farmers are struggling because they must deal with increasing energy, transportation, land and other production costs along with the skyrocketing cost of health care.
I strongly advocate agriculture policies that value Wisconsin farmers above foreign producers, preserve our family farms, strengthen our rural economy, establish a fair and balanced trade policy, and empower farmers to help protect our natural resources.
This year I sponsored the Farming Flexibility Act of 2007 (H.R. 1371 - Farm Flex), along with Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN), Timothy Walz (D-MN), and Ray LaHood (R-IL) to restore options to Midwest farmers and food processors who are currently penalized by planting restrictions in the 2002 Farm Bill.
The House considered a new Farm Bill earlier this I supported a critical amendment that called for reform with regard to direct payments and other farm subsidies while still retaining a safety net for those small farmers who need it the most. Unfortunately, this amendment failed. I voted for the final passage of the bill because it included at least some modest subsidy reforms. It also levied an assessment against companies that import dairy products into the U.S. (something I have long championed) and mandated country-of-origin labeling for all meats.
However, my work on this bill is not over. The House version of the legislation will have to be reconciled with the Senate version (which is still being worked out). I will continue to fight for meaningful reform to dramatically overhaul the direct payment system and restore the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program.
I have also been working to support important funding intiatives. The environmental impact of agricultural runoff continues to be a serious challenge. I have been pleased to secure $2.7 million dollars in support of efforts to address this problem. Sound agricultural policy is important to Wisconsin, and is a priority for me. |
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