FOOD STAMPS     Breaking News on the Farm Bill

Dear Good Shepherd Advocates:

ACTION NEEDED:  Call 1-800-826-9624   TODAY!

Urge Congress to pass the strongest possible nutrition title of the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419).  Tell Members that it is vital to fund improvements in food stamp benefits and food stamp access and to boost purchases for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).  The toll-free line to the U.S. Capitol (1-800-826-9624) is made available by AARP.

See the end of this Alert for a more detailed message.

BACKGROUND: 

This afternoon at 1:30 p.m., the House and Senate Conference Committee on the Farm Bill will meet for the 4th time.  They are working to reconcile the two different versions of the bill passed in previous month.  The Farm Bill contains funding for Food Stamps and Emergency Food Assistance.

Possible increases beyond $9.5 billion in new investments in the Food Stamp Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) are at stake as House/Senate Conferees continue to negotiate over the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419).  "Senate Finance Committee [Chairman] Max Baucus and ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley…were meeting [Tuesday] afternoon behind closed doors with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel and the committee's ranking Republican, Rep. Jim McCrery.  Senate Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin predicted that any deal coming from those discussions would increase funding for the nation's nutrition programs.  Increases for nutrition--with escalating food prices--are sought by both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chairman Rangel of New York City."   See "Fate of Farm bill hinges on conference action Wednesday," by Sally Schuff, Feedstuffs, 4/15/08.

MESSAGE and TARGETS

1) Ask House/Senate conferees (see list below) to support the strongest possible Farm Bill nutrition title.  Conferees include a mix of Members from the Agriculture Committees and other Committees.  2) Urge other Members of Congress to contact their leaders and conferees to support the strongest possible nutrition title.  

   
Senate Conferee Democrats:

Finance Committee Chairman Senator Max Baucus (MT); Budget Committee Chairman Senator Kent Conrad (ND); Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (VT); Agriculture Committee Member Senator Blanche Lincoln (AR); Agriculture Committee Member Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI).

Senate Conferee Republicans:

Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA); Former Agriculture Committee Chairman Senator Richard Lugar (IN); Finance Committee Ranking Member Senator Charles Grassley (IA); Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Senator Thad Cochran (MS); Agriculture Committee Member Senator Pat Roberts (KS).

House Conferee Democrats:

Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson (MN); Representatives Tim Holden (PA); Mike McIntyre (NC); Bob Etheridge (NC); Leonard Boswell (IA); Joe Baca (CA); Dennis Cardoza (CA); David Scott (GA); Representatives George Miller (CA); Carolyn McCarthy (NY); John Dingell (MI); Frank Pallone (NJ); Paul Kanjorski (PA); Maxine Waters (CA)); Howard Berman (CA); Brad Sherman (CA); John Conyers (MI); Bobby Scott (VA); Nick Rahall (WV); Madeline Bordallo (GU); Henry Waxman (CA); Edolphus Towns (NY); Bart Gordon (TN); Nick Lampson (TX); Nydia Velasquez (NY); Heath Shuler (NC); Jim Oberstar (MN); Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC); Charles Rangel (NY); Earl Pomeroy (ND); Rosa DeLauro (CT) (House Democratic Leadership).

House Conferee Republicans:

Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte (VA); Representatives Frank Lucas (OK); Jerry Moran (KS), Robin Hayes (NC); Marilyn Musgrave (CO);  Randy Neugebauer (TX); Todd Platts (PA); Joe Barton (TX); Spencer Bachus (AL); Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL); Lamar Smith (TX); Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (WA); Jim Jordan (OH); Michael McCaul (TX); Steve Chabot (OH); Sam Graves (MO); Jim McCrery (LA); Adam Putnam (FL).

Thanks!  Remember, Food Stamps are an effective tool in the struggle against poverty!