The Federal Budget Punishes America's Producers - Eliminates Key Farm Safety Net Component An issue has moved to the forefront that can have a direct impact on you as well as our state and nation's agricultural communities. The President's budget proposal would phase out direct payments over three years to farmers with annual sales revenue of more than $500,000. We believe that loan deficiency and counter-cyclical payments will be phased out as well. If successful, it will rewrite the safety net currently available to mainstream agriculture. Congress has gone to great lengths to debate a Farm Bill, which should remain intact and be implemented as it was intended. It is vital that the members of Congress understand that agriculture would be negatively impacted should this provision in the President's budget proposal pass. The purpose of this letter is to strongly encourage you to contact your U. S. House Member as well as both U. S. Senators to encourage them to maintain the intent of the current Farm Bill and to not support any proposals containing restrictions on farm program payments. All levels of the Farm Bureau organization are taking part in this effort. The American Farm Bureau is joining forces with other agriculture groups and sending a letter to the members of both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees as well as USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. State Farm Bureaus, including South Carolina, will be contacting their members of Congress. The strongest link in this chain is the communications from the farmer members. There are a number of ways to send a message to your Congressman and Senators. On our Website we have posted an Action Alert on this issue and you can use that to send a message, or you can send one through our site separately. by: Go to the Home page of our website (www.scfb.org) , Click on Legislation in the right hand menu, Click on the Yellow Box marked TAKE ACTION, Click on the Section Marked "Congressional Delegation", Highlight Your Representative and Click on More Info, Click on the tab that says "Contact" above the Member's Photo. The fastest way is to use the web form. This is the beginning of what may be a long and arduous process. It is likely that debate will continue into the Fall of 2009 and there will be a need for additional contacts at key times. Either a member of the Farm Bureau staff or I will be corresponding with you should the need arise. It is important that our delegation realize the dramatic ramifications of the President's proposal. Thank you in advance for your effort in protecting a key part of the safety net so vitally needed for agriculture. Should you like to see the President's budget proposal, it is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/.
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