WASHINGTON (Sept. 28, 2007)—With just two days remaining before the current farm bill expires, organizations of all political stripes today sent a letter to Senate leaders “to support expedited action on the 2007 Farm Bill.”
“While our organizations have differences on specific policy recommendations, we believe it is vitally important that the Senate Agriculture Committee mark up and pass a 2007 Farm Bill as soon as possible,” the more than 60 groups wrote to Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.).
The AARP, National Education Association, Presbyterian Church (USA), Alliance to End Hunger, Voices for America’s Children, and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies were among the groups that joined most major agricultural organizations in signing the letter.
The Senate is expected to take action on the farm bill in October although no Committee mark up has yet been scheduled.
Farm groups sent a letter to the same Senators on Sept. 10 urging them to use the farm bill passed by the House of Representatives in July as a “starting point for Senate deliberations.”