From the Union of Concerned Scientists (http://www.ucsusa.org):
Amid the headlines on the Supreme Court and the federal budget, you may have missed that on September 30, Congress failed to meet a critical deadline, allowing the farm bill to expire.
The five-year farm bill shapes everything about our food system—what farmers grow and how they grow it, the price of food and who can afford it, and more—with huge implications for our health, our economy, and the environment.
For the last year, together with food and farm allies, we’ve been working to make sure the next farm bill offers smart incentives and real support for farmers in the long-term—while also strengthening proven programs that reduce hunger and increase access to nutritious foods. But now there is no farm bill, and critical programs and the people they serve are left in the cold.
Please call 888-382-2509 now and urge your senators to provide reliable support to farmers, eaters, and local food economies by passing a strong farm bill.
You’ll hear a message from UCS with short talking points, and then be connected to your senators’ offices. You may also use the sample talking points below. And please let us know that you called at https://secure.ucsusa.org/onlineactions/iAIBjQEDuUq_GClSElPdvQ2. Your report will help us track how offices are responding.
Alternatively, you can call directly—find contact information:
- Senator Robert Casey: http://casey.senate.gov
- Senator Pat Toomey: http://toomey.senate.gov
It’s hard to overstate the impact that the farm bill has on all of our lives. Its programs address major challenges facing our nation’s food and farm systems, and they also empower farmers, businesses, and communities to build solutions that work—expanding healthy food access, creating jobs and fostering rural economic development, and conserving natural resources to build long-term sustainability.
Because Congress failed to pass a new bill on time, a wide range of effective food and farm programs have had to shut down their operations. Critical conservation programs that protect our soil and water must turn eager farmers away. Proven initiatives that help food producers connect to local and regional markets no longer exist.
Though they failed to meet the September 30 deadline, our legislators can still act quickly to put a strong new farm bill in place as soon as possible. Call your senators today!
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