In July I reported “What happens when a nation of small
family farms becomes a nation of large corporate agri-businesses?”[1]
On June 10th the US Senate sent a bill to
authorize agricultural programs through 2018[2] to
the House. Michigan ’s
own Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) chairs the Senate Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and she worker with Republicans to produce
a bill that would get their support.
To be honest, this bill was a big disappointment to me, it expanded
subsidies that largely benefit large corporate agri-businesses and reduced
support for food assistance programs. But this is what happens when Democrats
chair the committee … they compromise for the greater good of the nation.
A month later, July 10th, the Republicans in the
House passed a bill to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural
and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018[3]
that retained the increased subsidies for large corporate agri-businesses but
totally stripped out all funding for food assistance programs.
Representative Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) and other enthusiastic
supporters of gutting food assistance programs were well aware that the farm
bill they passed had absolutely no chance of ever being passed in the Senate or
signed by the President. Republicans used to reach across the isle and craft
bills that could get support from Democrats … the way Senator Stabenow did.
The problem with Tim Walberg isn’t that he is a Republican,
it is that his an ultra-conservative who is perfectly willing to let a good
farm bill fail so that he can have his way on something he is ideologically
married to, such as ending food assistance programs.
This is a pattern of behavior that we are seeing again with
the budget. Tim Walberg and his Republican colleagues are willing to see the
government shut down rather than put a resolution to continue funding government
before the House that would have even the most remote chance of passing in the
Senate or getting the President’s signature. They are willing to put
agri-business at risk to have their way on food assistance and they are willing
to put the welfare of the whole nation at risk to have their way on Obamacare.
No matter how this shakes out, we need new representation
and we need to start supporting the candidate who will beat Tim Walberg now. Pam
Byrnes (D-Chelsea) is a candidate that is able to see that the needs of our
agricultural community are poorly served by a representative who is hostile to
bipartisanship.
In a recent interview[4],
Pam Byrnes spoke about an achievement that she takes great pride in, the
Cottage Food Bill. She worked with both Democrats and Republicans to craft a
bill that would enjoy a large degree on bipartisan support. This bill made it
easier for small local farmers that kept bees for honey or harvested maple
syrup to produce and sell a finished product. It also helped small local
farmers and crafters to produce certain types of food products in home kitchens
or on the family farm.
This is exactly what we all want in representations, someone
who is just plain reasonable and willing to work with others to do the right
thing!
Next year, Pam Byrnes is going to need your help and mine in
many ways but the best way you can her help right now is to make
a contribution to Pam Byrnes for Congress. Tim Walberg has a substantial
War Chest filled by Koch Brother supported groups like the Club for Growth,
Americans for Prosperity and others to take into the 2014 election.
We have to put thousands of small and medium donations
together to beat a few big donations. I made my contribution
to Pam Byrnes for Congress a few days ago so that it would be included in
the quarterly report that closed out tomorrow night. Larger contributors look
at those reports and count the number of donors and the total; when they see
our support for her, it encourages them to add theirs and our small
contributions turn into bigger contributions.
Please contribute
to Pam Byrnes for Congress right away. We need a Congress that can work
together and pass a budget. The current Congress has not passed a budget since
May 2009 and isn’t even talking about doing so; they are working on something
called a “continuing resolution”. Enough is enough! The campaign starts now!
[1] Vine
Street Report, "What happens when a nation of small family farms becomes a
nation of large corporate agri-businesses?", < http://vinestreetreport.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-happens-when-nation-of-small.html
>.
[2] S. 954:
Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013. See < http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s954
>.
[3] H.R.
2642: Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013. See < http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr2642
>.
[4] eclectablog,
"Pam Byrnes, Democratic candidate for Michigan 's 7th Congressional District: A
progressive breath of fresh air fo MI-07", < http://www.eclectablog.com/2013/08/interview-pam-byrnes-democratic-candidate-for-michigans-7th-congressional-district.html
>.
